Hull City’s head of analysis and recruitment Lee Darnbrough and Austin MacPhee are reported candidates for the Hearts sporting director job (Scottish Daily Mail, page 87, 06/11/19).
Owner Ann Budge is drawing up a shortlist for sporting director after Craig Levein was dismissed as both manager and director of football at Tynecastle.
Hull City man Darnbrough is a reported Hearts sporting director candidate. (Photo by Chris Vaughan – CameraSport via Getty Images)
Darnbrough has held recruitment and scouting roles at Burnley, Norwich and West Bromwich Albion. It is said he would be open to a Jambos approach.
MacPhee is also in the Hearts frame alongside Hull man Darnbrough
Current interim boss MacPhee is also reported as a likely contender for the sporting director role. The job itself will be part of a new management structure at Tynecastle.
MacPhee will likely keep the reigns as interim first-team boss for now as the club look to find a manager to succeed Levein. His first game didn’t exactly go to plan.
MacPhee is also a reported candidate. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
It ended in a 3-0 defeat to Rangers in the League Cup, with his side not putting up much of a fight in the process. He needs to avoid defeat in his exit interim game though, as defeat to bottom side St Mirren could leave Hearts bottom.
Whilst first-team duties are the priority right now, according to the report, MacPhee will likely be one of the candidates Budge looks at for the sporting director role.