Eddie May Leaves Hibernian After 12 Years of Service

Eddie May’s long association with Hibernian will end this month, with the club confirming the experienced coach will leave his role at the end of June, drawing a line under 12 years of service at Easter Road.

For Hibs supporters of a certain age, May is more than just a backroom figure. He first pulled on the green and white as a player in 1985, going on to make over 100 appearances in a four-year spell that helped define his bond with the club. Nearly three decades later, in 2014, he returned – not for the spotlight, but to help shape what came next.

Since then, May has worked across the club’s structure, from academy and player development to the first-team environment, becoming one of the constants through a turbulent period of managerial change and squad rebuilds. When Hibs needed a steady hand, they often turned to him.

That trust was clearest in 2019. Twice that year, May stepped up as caretaker manager, guiding the team through five games and winning three of them. It was a brief stint, but it underlined his reliability and the respect he commanded inside the dressing room.

The latest chapter of his Hibs career began only this month. In June 2024, as David Gray was confirmed as head coach, May was named as one of his assistant coaches alongside Liam Craig, reinforcing the club’s preference for continuity and familiar faces in key roles.

Yet the landscape shifted again last week when Hibs announced the return of John Potter, previously assistant to Jack Ross between 2019 and 2021. That move signalled another reshaping of the coaching staff and, with it, the end of May’s long tenure.

Gray paid a heartfelt tribute to the departing coach, underlining just how influential May has been behind the scenes. He described May as a “fantastic mentor, colleague and friend” and highlighted the support he has given him “over the years, both as a player and a coach”, adding that he was “extremely grateful for all his support, advice and commitment.”

May, who also managed Falkirk between 2009 and 2010, reflected on his time at Easter Road with clear pride, calling it “an incredible privilege to work alongside so many dedicated players, coaches, supporters and friends who have made this journey so special”.

A player, a caretaker, a mentor, a bridge between generations – May’s departure closes a significant chapter at Hibernian. What comes next for the club’s evolving backroom team will help define the next one.