London (AFP) – Indian-owned Blackburn Rovers have appointed Tony Mowbray as the club’s new manager, the English second-tier strugglers announced Wednesday. 

Mowbray, 53, has signed an 18-month contract after former manager Owen Coyle left the Championship club by mutual consent on Tuesday.

Most recently in charge at Coventry, Mowbray started his managerial career at Ipswich and has also managed Hibernian, West Bromwich Albion, Celtic and Middlesbrough.

At Hibs, he twice led the Scottish club into Europe while at West Brom he lost the Championship play-off final in 2007 before getting the Baggies promoted to the Premier League as champions the following season.

He left Coventry without a league win at the end of September, having guided them to an eighth-place finish in third-tier League One last season.

Blackburn, Premier League champions in 1995, are currently second-from-bottom of the Championship, three points from safety, after two wins in their last 13 league games.