Having been a coach for over 30 years, Jimmy Sinclair still has the same passion and drive as he ever did and is looking forward to being the head coach at Glasgow Hawks for the rest of the campaign.
With Jamie Dempsey leaving the role with the BT Premiership club just before Christmas due to his new position as manager of the BT Sport Scottish Rugby West Academy, the Hawks' committee have turned to a familiar face to fill the vacant post.
Sinclair, 61, was co-coach with Dempsey in seasons 2012/13 and 2013/14 as they helped the club win the second tier and then get to the Scottish Cup final 12 months later.
For the first half of this season Sinclair took a step back from coaching for personal reasons, but now he is back in the hot seat as the head coach and raring to go.
"Having worked so closely with Jamie for those two seasons we built up a good bond and the players responded well to us," Sinclair said.
"In the summer of 2012 we set about rebuilding the club and we brought in players that we were keen to work with and the team soon started to grow together.
"We finished fifth in the top flight last year and made the cup final and, although having not been involved as a coach, I have watched a lot of the matches this year.
"There have been a couple of results that could have gone our way that haven't and although we are eighth we still have a chance at finishing in the top four so that is our aim - I am delighted to be back involved."
Sinclair's coaching career started at Hillhead back in the early 1980s after injuries curtailed his time as a player. He was at the club when they merged with Jordanhill in 1988 and since then has been involved with the likes of Allan Glen's, Cartha Queens Park and Dalziel.
Whilst with Dalziel they won all 22 matches one season and over the years he has also worked with various representative sides.
At Hawks Sinclair will be ably supported by assistant coach Peter Laverie and player/coach Finlay Gillies with their next challenge a home match with Stirling County this coming Saturday.
Laverie too has a wealth of experience, having joined Hawks last summer from Ayr where he was head coach, while he and Sinclair have worked together in the past.
Gillies meanwhile was on the books at Glasgow Warriors until the end of last season and has been a standout performer for Hawks this term to date having moved from hooker to the back-row.
Since he got involved in coaching all those years ago Sinclair has seen a massive change in the game, stating: "The sport is very different in many aspects now. At club level the guys are so much fitter now and put a lot of time into extra training and such like.
"Their dedication really impresses me and nothing can quite beat the feeling of a Saturday after a match when your team have put in a good performance and they have won."
And the coaching buzz must run in the Sinclair family because Jimmy's son Greg got involved on the sidelines when he was in his mid-20s.
He is now in his fourth year at Viadana in Italy and has worked his way up to assistant coach.
"He seems to be doing well out there and enjoying things," Sinclair senior said.
"I am sure one day he would like to come back and coach in this country, but for now he is learning his trade in a good place."
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