Workington Town have appointed former North Wales Crusaders boss Anthony Murray as their new head coach.
Murray has signed a two-year contract to take the reins at Workington, where he had a spell as a player back in 2003.
He replaces Chris Thorman at Town following their relegation from the Championship this year.
The 45-year-old’s first professional head coach role was with Cumbrian rivals Barrow Raiders, before two spells with the Crusaders.
He was named League One Coach of the Year last season and is in the running for the award again this term, although in both campaigns third-place finishes were followed by successive defeats to bow out of the play-offs.
Murray, who had already revealed his intentions to leave North Wales after this season, said: “I’ve played for Town so know its heritage and its passionate supporters.
“I’m already hard at work with the director of rugby Gary Murdock and we’ll start to announce who’ll be playing on Derwent Park over the coming weeks and months.
“I’m really looking forward to meeting our group of fans who are renowned in the game for their allegiance, tenacity and passion!”
Workington chairman John Pleasants added: “Anthony was the stand out in a strong field. He is highly experienced and knows how to put a strong and effective squad for a very competitive division.”
