Bristol Rovers have appointed Paul Tisdale as their next manager, the club confirmed on Thursday.
The former MK Dons and Exeter City manager has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with the Gas, replacing Ben Garner in charge.
Tisdale takes charge after a 4-1 defeat to Fleetwood Town on Saturday which left the Gas 18th in League One and cost Garner his job.
He will be in the dugout for Saturday's game at Swindon Town.
The 47-year-old spent almost 12 years in charge at Exeter, leading them to two promotions, and he also took MK Dons back to League One in 2019.
Bristol Live reported on Wednesday Tisdale was the leading contender to take the job, and Rovers have moved swiftly to get him in before the weekend.
Rovers CEO Martyn Starnes said: "We are delighted to welcome Paul to the football club."
"Paul has a vast amount of experience in the game and has several promotions on his CV. His ambition and long-term goals mirror that of the Club's ongoing strategy, to build a Bristol Rovers DNA.
"His track record of developing younger players is impressive and we believe he's the ideal person to maximise the full potential that the playing squad possesses.
"We look forward to working closely with Paul to bring success to Bristol Rovers.”
Tisdale is not a universally popular appointment with the fanbase, with some raising concerns over his record in League One – getting sacked by MK Dons early last season and suffering relegation with Exeter in 2012.
But Rovers believe he fits the club's strategy to develop players from within, and Tisdale had a fine record of pushing prospects through the EFL at Exeter.
Ollie Wakins, of Aston Villa, and Swansea City's Matt Grimes are players he coached before being sold for in excess of £1million.
Rovers hope to follow a similar blueprint to success on and off the pitch, and believe Tisdale is the right man to take the club forward.
