Rotherham United made the difficult decision to part ways with head coach Matt Taylor on Monday after a 5-0 defeat to Watford at the weekend and there is a surprise candidate being linked with the vacant job.
The Millers had picked up two crucial points against Queens Park Rangers and Ipswich Town at home over the past week-and-a-half but a hefty loss at Vicarage Road was the final nail in the coffin of Taylor’s time in charge.
Now, the relegation-battlers have begun searching for a new man to lead the team to safety and have added Stevenage boss Steve Evans to the shortlist, according to The Yorkshire Post.
Evans was previously in charge at the New York Stadium from 2012 to 2015 and guided the side to the Championship by finishing runners-up in League One at the end of the 2012/13 season.
In the following campaign, Rotherham stayed in the Championship under Evans’ guidance but the experienced manager left his post at the beginning of the 2015/16 season, taking the head coach position at Leeds United shortly after.
Evans stayed at Elland Road for just one season and held a 36.8% win rate with the Peacocks who finished 13th in the Championship during his term.
The 61-year-old has gone on to overachieve with Stevenage, taking the Boro from League Two to England’s third tier where they currently sit fifth in the table, seven points off unbeaten league-leaders Portsmouth.
Perhaps his most memorable win in charge of Stevenage was guiding the side to a 2-1 win at Aston Villa last season in the FA Cup.
Now, Evans could be set for a return to Rotherham United in the near future, with the hopes of keeping the side in the second division, although the South Yorkshire club would be forced to pay compensation to Stevenage as the manager’s contract runs until 2025.
Writer’s View
Steve Evans would be a popular appointment at the New York Stadium, having had experience taking the team up to the Championship and keeping them in the league.
However, it is yet to be seen whether Stevenage would be open to allowing their man to leave, and if so, for how much? Nonetheless, should Evans return to Rotherham, his first game in the dugout would be against Leeds United. How fitting.
Deputy Head of Writing
