Richard Hastings wants to get Rothes back to challenging for trophies after being appointed manager.
The Speysiders are 10th in the Breedon Highland League, but previously finished third and fifth under Jack, as well as winning the North of Scotland Cup and GPH Builders Merchants Highland League Cup.
Speaking exclusively to the Press and Journal about his appointment and his vision for the future, Hastings said: “There are a lot of quality teams in this league.
“Trying to get in the top six and top four is always spoken about. I want to push us as far as possible, every competition is there to be won.
“If you go in with that aim and put the hard work in, then you see where it takes you.
“There’s lot of competition with great players and managers in this league, who have shown how successful they can be.
“When the job came up, it was an attractive opportunity and I’m delighted to be appointed.”
Hastings looks to feel benefit of experience gained at Inverurie Locos
Hastings has previous managerial experience in the Highland League.
He was in charge of Inverurie Locos between August 2021 and January 2023.
The 46-year-old added: “It wasn’t a desperate thing to be straight back in.
“I’ve been out for a year and I’m open and honest enough to say that my ambition is to get into full-time management.
“But I see this as a great opportunity to get more managerial experience under my belt.
“I took away a few different things from my time at Inverurie. You take stock of everything.
“A lot of the stuff I did was good.
“This is a new challenge and I’m coming in with the right attitude and spirit and looking to make the most of this opportunity.”
Hastings’ first game in charge of Rothes will be on Saturday against Buckie Thistle and there’s plenty on his agenda for the rest of the campaign.
He said: “All the groundwork and foundations of what we want to build is what we’ll be working on for the rest of the season.
“We’ve got a huge opportunity for the remainder of the season. I’d like us to finish the season strongly and not waste the last 10 games.”
Hastings’ ‘proven track record’ – Rothes chairman
Rothes chairman Iain Paul is delighted to have appointed Hastings and believes the future is bright for the Speysiders.
He said: “Richard has got a proven track record in football and is very passionate about the game.
“He’s played at the highest level and knows the game inside out.
“His focus is on the future and he’s very ambitious, which we liked.
“He’s keen to develop and move forward from where we are at Rothes.
“We had a lot of high calibre applicants and Ross Jack was always going to be a tough act to follow.
“But it was great to have such a strong field interested in the position. Richard was top of the crop and we look forward to working with him.
“Like most clubs, our aim is to be in the top six and trying to get to cup finals and pick up silverware.
“There is also the league – which is the ultimate dream.
“But more immediately, we’re looking for impact and improvement.
“It’s also up to us all to try to bring in new players. We need to freshen things up.
“We believe we can get further improvement from what we’ve got, but we’re also looking to strengthen the team as well.
“We want as many points as we can amass this season and then to build up for next season.”
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