Hibs sack former A-League coach

A-League title-winning coach Nick Montgomery has been sacked by Scottish club Hibernian.

Montgomery, 42, guided the Central Coast Mariners to last season’s A-League championship before leaving in September to take charge of Hibs,

However, the Englishman has been axed just eight months into a three-year contract.

Hibs – whose squad includes Socceroos pair Martin Boyle and Lewis Miller, as well as former Mariners defender Nectarios Triantis and ex-Sydney FC striker Adam Le Fondre – had been expected to finish in the top six of the Scottish Premiership when the 12-team competition split into its Championship and Relegation groups last month.

However, Hibs were among the bottom six, and have won only once in their past six matches, with the final straw being a 4-0 home loss to Aberdeen on Monday morning (AEST).

“As a board this was not a decision we made lightly, but felt it a necessary one to move the team forward,” Hibs majority shareholders the Gordon Family said.

“Although Nick and his coaching team worked tirelessly, their efforts didn’t deliver the results we had hoped for.”

Montgomery’s assistant coaches Sergio Raimundo and Miguel Miranda have also left Hibs.

Montgomery becomes the second A-League title-winning mentor to be sacked by a European club in the space of six months after former Melbourne City coach Patrick Kisnorbo was dismissed by French outfit Troyes in December.