ROLLERCOASTER ride would be one way to describe Hibs boss John Collins' first year in the Easter Road hotseat.
However, the manager's former Hibs team-mate Paul Kane reckons the Big Dipper would be a more apt description.
Collins guided the capital club to their first major domestic honour in 16 years when they won the CIS Cup in impressive fashion against Kilmarnock at Hampden in March.
And Kane believes the former Scotland midfielder won the supporters over and cemented his hero status as both Hibs player and manager when he beat Hearts in the quarter-final of the same competition in only his second game in charge.
Kane said: "John has had a fantastically successful first year. He was fortunate that one of his first games in charge was against Hearts in the quarterfinal of the CIS Cup.
"He was already regarded as a legend as a Hibs player but that win over Hearts confirmed his legendary status as a manager straight away. That victory laid the foundations for everything else that followed in the CIS Cup.
"Beating their arch rivals got John off to a flyer and the Hibs fans loved him right away for that. The fact they claimed their first silverware in 16 years was the icing on the cake.
"I believe that Edinburgh derby win was the catalyst for all the success the club have had in the 12 months John has been at the helm."
In fact, the only blip in Collins' successful spell was the dressing room revolt exposed by Record Sport in the aftermath of the CIS Cup Final victory. Kane insists that was probably the best thing that could have happened to Collins as a rookie boss.
He said: "John had to experience that situation in order to become a better manager. He handled th matter well and tried to keep it all in-house.
"It was unpleasant at the time but it was probably the making of him as a manager and that can only stand him and Hibs in good stead for the future.
"Being a rookie manager that situation could have engulfed him and Collins could have been sacrificed instead of some of the Hibs players. But the way he handled the dressing-room crisis endeared him even more to the Hibs supporters.
"If a manager has a couple of bad eggs in the ranks the best way to deal with that is to get them out of the club on your terms and in your own time - and that is exactly what John did.
"In the manager's eyes he now has his own players and his own team and taking John's spell in charge over the whole year you would have to say that he has been a great success. Hibs fans have experienced nothing but highs since he took over as manager.
"If I was to sum it all up I would say it hasn't been a rollercoaster at all - more like the Big Dipper because Hibs have been up challenging the Old Firm and winning trophies and had that one big dip with the dressing-room rebellion.
"In a peculiar way both Collins and the club have come out of it all stronger and better for that experience.
"Some managers don't win any trophies in their lifetime but John did it within his first few months at Hibs. If the Easter Road board can match John's ambitions for the club I think he will stay in Edinburgh."
