Oran Kearney: St Mirren boss 'would be mad to leave' - CEO Tony Fitzpatrick
- Published
St Mirren chief executive Tony Fitzpatrick (left) is aware of the speculation linking Oran Kearney with a return to Coleraine
St Mirren chief executive Tony Fitzpatrick has said manager Oran Kearney is happy at the club and does not think he will leave.
The former Coleraine boss has been linked with a return to the Showgrounds after the Bannsiders parted ways with Rodney McAree on Friday.
Saints kept their Scottish Premiership survival hopes alive with a win over Hamilton Academicals on Monday.
"Oran has done a great job and would be mad to leave," Fitzpatrick said.
"I know there is speculation [that Kearney will return to Coleraine] which is only natural but I don't want him to leave and I don't think we will lose him.
"I'm sure they would want him back because he was a real driving force for that football club and won them the cup.
"I speak to Oran every day, I spend a lot of time with him and I know he is happy here."
When asked about the speculation ahead of Monday night's win over Hamilton, Kearney said he has a job to do at St Mirren and that he was focusing on the match.
The victory over Hamilton means they go into Saturday's final round of fixtures just one point behind the 10th-placed Accies.
Kearney's men travel to already-relegated Dundee for their last match, while Accies host St Johnstone, with the team finishing 11th facing a two-legged survival duel with Dundee United or Inverness Caledonian Thistle of the Championship.
Kearney left Coleraine for St Mirren in September after guiding the Bannsiders to an Irish Cup win and runners-up position in the Irish Premiership in 2017-18.
They have invited expressions of interest in their managerial post, which was vacated by McAree after they were beaten by Cliftonville in the Europa League play-off semi-final.