Inverness Caley Thistle head coach Scott Kellacher says he is loving life as head coach in Highland capital despite challenges of administration
Scott Kellacher says he is loving life as Inverness Caledonian Thistle’s head coach.
The 44-year-old was installed to the top job on the football side of the club under trying circumstances, having taken over from Duncan Ferguson after the Everton and Newcastle United legend left ICT in the wake of their administration.
In some ways, it was the culmination of a long journey for Kellacher.
Having been born in the Highland capital, he would sign for the Caley Jags as a player when he was a teenager, and has worked his way up through the coaching side of the club from the community department into the first team picture over the last two decades.
While he may well have aspired to the Caley Thistle dug out, Kellacher could never have predicted the situation the club would be in when he finally took charge.
However, rather than finding it stressful or concerning, he says he is able to enjoy every minute of life as ICT head coach.
“You might think it’s hard to believe, but I’ve actually loved every minute of it,” he explained.0
“I’m asked that by a lot of fans, who I think must think I will be stressed, but I try to be a positive person most days.
“I come in with a smile on my face, and I want to be upbeat, and if that rubs off on others then I will be very happy.
“It has been a rollercoaster, but I love it. I love being involved in football, and I love being at this club, so I’m happy to work hard and that’s what I ask of the players as well.
“Fans will have seen that I’ve been here for just over 20 years, and worked from the community side of the club through the youth and played a part in everything there is to do at this club shows that I love it.
“This football club has been my life. My wife and kids all come to the games, and this club is everything to me.
“It has probably given me some of the best times of my life, so I come in every day to give my all for this football club.”
Kellacher’s next test with Caley Thistle is an intriguing one, travelling to the other side to drop into League One from the Championship over the summer.
Both ICT and Arbroath appeared to struggle to adapt to life in the third tier at first, but each have recovered to the point that they are now two of the form teams in the division – making for an exciting prospect at Gayfield this weekend.
“It’s always hard when you go down a league,” Kellacher reasoned.
“You’ll probably find it in every league, you have to build that positive mindset and mentality again.
“You have been so used to not winning games, and that’s why you’re in the league below, so that’s a hard thing to build that mindset for the players to get into a winning habit.
“It is very hard to get going again, because you’re obviously deflated from being relegated, but the boys are hopefully on that right track again now to go where we want to go.”
