The Scottish Football Association has launched a search for a new national head coach following Steve Clarke's resignation, with chief executive Ian Maxwell declaring that "nothing's off the table" as the process gets under way.

Clarke's departure came as a surprise and was announced shortly after Scotland were eliminated from the FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage. The timing was made more striking by the fact that Clarke had signed a new four-year contract just before the tournament began.

Scotland's group stage struggles

Scotland opened Group C with a 1-0 victory over Haiti but fell 1-0 to Morocco before suffering a heavy 3-0 defeat to Brazil. Those results left them needing to qualify as one of the eight best third-placed teams — a target they missed, finishing 11th among the 12 third-placed sides.

Maxwell opens the door wide

Speaking in Charlotte, North Carolina — where the Scotland squad had been based during the tournament — Maxwell confirmed the coaching search had already begun.

"I've woken up this morning to a few messages from people that are interested in the job," he said. "Nothing's off the table. We need to cast the net as far and wide as we can. It's about getting the right coach — it's not about necessarily where they come from."

Maxwell pointed to Scotland's upcoming Nations League fixtures against North Macedonia, Slovenia, and Switzerland in the autumn as one reason to move swiftly, though he acknowledged it is "really, really difficult to put dates on" an appointment.

"We're a really attractive job, for the right head coach," he added. "We've got a Euros that we're co-hosting in 2028 to look forward to. There's been a lot of success over the last few years and we need to appoint someone that can improve on that and continue to drive us forward."

Tributes to Clarke's legacy

Maxwell was candid about the emotional toll of the departure, describing the mood as "very raw" and calling Clarke Scotland's "most successful head coach."

Clarke took charge in 2019 and guided Scotland to their first major tournament in 23 years. He oversaw appearances at Euro 2024 and this year's World Cup — the nation's first since 1998 — though across all three tournaments the team recorded just one win, against Haiti, alongside six defeats.

"If we had sat seven years ago when we appointed him and said, 'this is what the next seven years are going to look like', everybody would've bitten your hand off for it," Maxwell said. "He's been incredible. The last thing I would want is his reputation or legacy tarnished in any way, shape or form."

Maxwell also praised Scotland supporters who travelled in large numbers to the United States. "They have lit up America," he said.

On the question of the pre-tournament contract extension, Maxwell explained it was designed to bring stability heading into the competition. "It eliminated any talk about what was going to happen afterwards," he said. "Obviously, we find ourselves in a position that nobody wanted to be in."