Heart of Midlothian have confirmed the appointment of Wouter Vrancken as their new head coach following Derek McInnes’ departure to Rangers.
The 47-year-old Belgian has signed a two-year deal at Tynecastle and will be assisted by Tim Smolders and Cederique Tulleners. He becomes Hearts’ fourth head coach in three seasons and inherits a side that finished second in the Premiership last term.
Heart of Midlothian is delighted to confirm the appointment of Wouter Vrancken as our new Head Coach. The highly regarded Belgian takes the Tynecastle reins after signing a two-year deal with the Jambos. Read ⬇️
— Heart of Midlothian FC (@JamTarts) June 25, 2026
Vrancken arrives in Edinburgh on the back of an outstanding campaign with Sint-Truiden, guiding his hometown club to a third-place finish and European qualification. It is their highest league placing in six decades. His achievements earned him a second Belgian Manager of the Year award.
The move marks Vrancken’s first role outside Belgium, where he has built a strong managerial reputation over more than 300 matches across five clubs.
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He began his coaching career in the lower leagues before leading Mechelen to the second-tier title and Belgian Cup in the same season, later establishing them in the top flight.
He also enjoyed spells at Genk and Gent and came close to winning the Belgian title with the former, before transforming Sint-Truiden from relegation candidates into European qualifiers within a year.
Hearts moved quickly to secure their preferred candidate, concluding a near two-week search process after outlining their desire for a head coach capable of driving further progress and delivering success for supporters.
Vrancken is set to be unveiled at Tynecastle later on Thursday.
