Ross County manager John Hughes will discuss his future with chairman Roy MacGregor this week after he steered the Staggies to Premiership safety.
Hughes succeeded in his remit of keeping County up, having been brought in to replace Stuart Kettlewell in December when the Dingwall side were four points adrift at the foot of the table.
County made sure of survival with a final day 2-1 win at Motherwell, with the Highlanders ending the campaign with three successive victories.
Having been brought in on a deal until the end of the campaign, Hughes’ future is now up in the air but he says his upcoming discussions with MacGregor will determine whether he remains at Victoria Park beyond the summer.
Hughes said: “Everything, honestly, has been on hold. Even down to the pitch, in case we had to go into the play-offs.
“I have to speak to the chairman and that means all the players will be away. But it’s not all my decision, we have to sit down and have a real talk about where we want to go and how we want to do it. It has to be planned strategically for the best of Ross County.
“Then the budget comes into that. That’s not a problem to me, in all my time in football I have never worked out of budget.
“I have been in it 18 years and only spent something like £250,000. I think if you’re doing your job properly and you’ve got contacts, you know where one or two players are. One or two players will come and one or two players will go, that’s football.
“I’ll be back up there tonight and we’re in on Monday for a Covid debrief.
“I will be sitting down with the chairman and I will be up there for a couple of weeks. It’s important I do that. I have not been home since I took the job, with the Covid. That’s what you have to do, you have to commit.”
County came from behind to triumph at Fir Park, with goals from Iain Vigurs and Michael Gardyne overturning an early Sam Foley goal.
The result keeps the Staggies in the top flight for a third successive season, and Hughes paid tribute to the club’s supporters.
He added: “I am absolutely delighted for the boys and everyone connected to Ross County. It’s been a hard year with Covid, although I know every club has that.
“If you are going to dedicate it to anyone, it’s for the supporters. We’re a community club, everyone knows that, with a chairman who really cares for the community.
“Since I came in, we’ve had a fantastic response. Not every week, which has been my frustration. There have been highs and lows.
“In the last three games, to do what we did with so much at stake was a big test of character. The boys came out on top, especially after going a goal down against Motherwell.”
