Phil Parkinson has been given assurances that Stewart Donald will continue running Sunderland - seemingly ending talk of a takeover, at least in the short-term.
Parkinson was today on a two-and-a-half year contract, and he met the media for the first time this afternoon.
Sunderland have been at the centre of fevered takeover speculation for six months, with a deal to sell to Mark Campbell falling through in the summer, before the FPP group - US businessmen John Phelan, Glenn Fuhrman, and Robert Platek - showed interest in taking over the club at the end of August.
After an initial flurry of activity, there has been no substantive update on the FPP deal and last week the club issued a statement in which it reaffirmed it was seeking 'additional investment' and did not mention any group by name.
New boss Parkinson says the ownership of the club was discussed during his interview, and he was happy with the answers he was given.
Executive director Charlie Methven said today it was important for managerial candidates to know that the people interviewing them would continue to be in charge, and Parkinson added: "I was happy with the answers I got.
"Obviously, that [the takeover situation] was going to be mentioned as part of the interview process.
"I was happy with what I was told and the board want me to concentrate on the football and they are going to continue with the progress the club has made."
In the next few months, Parkinson will have to work with the players he has inherited but he says there will be to potential to bring in players in January, if he deems it necessary.
He said: "I think there's talent in the squad and we have to get more out of individuals to help the team as a collective.
"I feel the answers are there, but of course we discussed in the interview that if in January we need a boost - which often happens - then the board will be fully supportive."
Parkinson also revealed more details about the selection process for the job, which involved an initial interview last weekend before he met Stewart Donald at a second interview early this week.
He said: "I made it clear that I would like to be involved in the process.
"Then there was the initial interview, and then it was followed-up after the weekend and I met Stewart in the second interview.
"In the first interview, over the first 25 minutes, everything about the club was explained to me and the journey it has been on under the current ownership and where they intend to go.
"They wanted to be clear on that, and they were."
