There is something refreshingly straightforward about the way St Mirren have gone about their first managerial appointment of the close season. No protracted shortlist, no names linked to clubs they clearly had no intention of leaving, no drama. Just a quiet conviction that the man already in the dugout was the right one to stay there.

Craig McLeish, 36, has been confirmed as Buddies head coach on a three-year deal after guiding the club through the final 12 games of the 2025-26 campaign in a temporary capacity. Across those fixtures he won four and drew three — a modest but perfectly decent return for a young coach finding his feet at senior level. More importantly, those inside the club clearly liked what they saw beyond the numbers.

Chief operating officer Keith Lasley described McLeish as "the outstanding candidate" and was candid about the direction the club intends to travel in. "We want to be the best development football club in Scotland," Lasley said, pointing to McLeish's academy background at the club as precisely the kind of foundation they were looking for. The Paisley side pipped Celtic to the first managerial appointment of the summer — a small but pleasing footnote for a club that rarely gets to lord anything over their neighbours from the east end of Glasgow.

The youngest in the division — for now

McLeish becomes the youngest manager or head coach currently operating in the Scottish Premiership, though that distinction may not last long depending on who Motherwell turn to as they fill their own vacancy. Rangers head coach Danny Rohl is just a year older at 37, and David Gray at Hibernian is 38. Beyond that trio, the division leans heavily on experience — managers in their 40s and 50s, and Falkirk's John McGlynn into his 60s, while Celtic are expected to continue with Martin O'Neill at 74.

It is worth asking, then, how younger coaches have actually fared north of the border. The honest answer is: unevenly, though with reason for optimism.

Ian Cathro's spell at Hearts between 2017 and 2018 remains the cautionary tale. Appointed at 30 and arriving with a reputation built on forward-thinking coaching work across Europe, he won just eight of his 30 games in Edinburgh before departing. Shaun Maloney's tenure at Hibs a few years later told a similarly inconsistent story — six wins, six draws, seven defeats before a Scottish Cup semi-final exit to Hearts ended his time there, though he has since rebuilt his reputation as part of O'Neill's coaching setup at Celtic this past season.

Gray's story at Easter Road is the more encouraging one. The former Hibs captain has quietly accumulated a 40 per cent win ratio across more than 100 fixtures in all spells, oversaw a third-place Premiership finish last season that earned European football, and has steadily grown into the role. Rohl, meanwhile, has won 22 and lost just 10 of his Rangers games in all competitions, finishing third this term — though the post-split collapse of four defeats from five will have left a sourness around Ibrox that a summer rebuild will need to address.

The gold standard remains Steven Gerrard, who arrived at Rangers at 38 and, after two trophy-less seasons, delivered the title in 2021 to end a decade of hurt. A near 65 per cent win rate and a place in football folklore followed. Patience, in his case, was emphatically rewarded.

Looking south for inspiration

St Mirren were deliberate in pointing to English parallels when announcing their appointment. Lasley specifically cited Brighton and Brentford — clubs that have leaned into younger, analytically-minded coaches — as models worth following. Fabian Hurzeler, 33, has just delivered an eighth-place Premier League finish and a Conference League play-off berth for Brighton. Brentford's Keith Andrews, somewhat older at 45 but in his first senior head coach role, finished level on points with Brighton this season.

"There are some really good examples in England," Lasley said. "We want to be that club. It's not doing it for the sake of it — it's identifying talent and letting it fly."

Whether McLeish can grow into a similarly significant figure for St Mirren remains to be seen. But the club know what they want to be, they believe they have found a man who fits that vision, and they were decisive enough to back it. In football, that kind of clarity is rarer than it should be.

FAQs

Frequently asked

How old is Craig McLeish and what is his record as St Mirren manager?
Craig McLeish is 36 years old. In his 12 games as interim head coach during the 2025-26 season, he won four, drew three and lost five before being appointed on a permanent three-year deal.
Who are the youngest managers in the Scottish Premiership?
Craig McLeish at St Mirren is currently the youngest head coach or manager in the Scottish Premiership at 36. Rangers' Danny Rohl is 37 and Hibernian's David Gray is 38. Most other Premiership managers are in their 40s or older.
Has a young manager ever won the Scottish Premiership title?
Steven Gerrard is the standout example. He took over at Rangers at 38 and, after two seasons without silverware, won the Premiership title in 2021, ending a 10-year wait. He finished his Rangers tenure with a win percentage of nearly 65 per cent.