Doncaster Rovers in talks with former Bristol Rovers manager over succeeding Richie Wellens

Former Bristol Rovers boss Graham Coughlan is in talks to become the new manager of Doncaster Rovers.

The Yorkshire club are on the search for a successor to Richie Wellens after he was relieved of his duties last week.

Doncaster are bottom of League One right now and have suffered five straight defeats across all competitions.

They have been on a woeful run of form and under Wellens' stewardship have won just three of their opening 19 league fixtures.

Former Birmingham City and Coventry midfielder Gary McSheffrey has been entrusted on a caretaker basis but is not interested in the role after losing his first game.

One manager who has been linked with turning their fortunes around is former Gas boss Coughlan, who lives in Yorkshire and has experience of managing at that level.

Andy Giddings, the Sports Editor for BBC Sheffield says that Coughlan has held talks with the club about the post.

Applications for the job ends tomorrow and on the same day, Doncaster will begin to assess their list of applicants and whittle them down to their preferred shortlist tomorrow, with Coughlan hoping he is one of them.

Bristol Rovers was Coughlan’s first job in senior management. He had initially joined as defensive coach but was quickly made caretaker manager following the departure of Darrell Clarke.

He impressed Rovers bosses so much during his interim period by picking up ten points from an available 15 that he was offered the job on a permanent basis.

After sitting just outside the relegation zone on goal difference, he led them to a 15th placed finish.

He would continue into next season and had them occupying a play-off spot, but was later allowed to talk to Mansfield Town, a team in a division below Rovers.

Coughlan took charge of the Stags for family reasons given the geographical location, he would last less than a year, parting company with them in October 2020.

He returned to coaching in March 2021 joining the backroom staff of Sheffield United’s Under-23’s side alongside Darren Currie.