Brian Rice (footballer)

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Brian Rice

| image =

| fullname =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1963|10|11|df=y}}

| birth_place = Whitburn, Scotland

| height =

| position = Midfielder

| currentclub = Livingston (first team coach)

| years1 = 1980–1985 | clubs1 = Hibernian | caps1 = 84 | goals1 = 11

| years2 = 1985–1991 | clubs2 = Nottingham Forest | caps2 = 92 | goals2 = 9

| years3 = 1986 | clubs3 = → Grimsby Town (loan) | caps3 = 4 | goals3 = 0

| years4 = 1989 | clubs4 = → West Bromwich Albion (loan) | caps4 = 3 | goals4 = 0

| years5 = 1991 | clubs5 = → Stoke City (loan) | caps5 = 18 | goals5 = 0

| years6 = 1991–1995 | clubs6 = Falkirk | caps6 = 101 | goals6 = 8

| years7 = 1995–1997 | clubs7 = Dunfermline Athletic | caps7 = 10 | goals7 = 0

| years8 = 1997–1999 | clubs8 = Clyde | caps8 = 49 | goals8 = 2

| years9 = 2000 | clubs9 = Greenock Morton | caps9 = 1 | goals9 = 0

| totalcaps = 362 | totalgoals = 30

| nationalyears1 = 1984

| nationalteam1 = Scotland U21{{cite web |title=Scotland U21 Player Brian Rice Details |url=http://www.fitbastats.com/scotlandu21/player.php?playerid=116 |website=fitbastats.com |access-date=6 June 2021}}

| nationalcaps1 = 1

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| manageryears1 = 2019–2021

| managerclubs1 = Hamilton Academical

| manageryears2 = 2022–2023

| managerclubs2 = Alloa Athletic

| medaltemplates =

{{Medal|Team|{{fb|SCO}}}}

}}

Brian Rice (born 11 October 1963) is a Scottish football coach and former player, who is currently first team coach to David Martindale at Scottish Premiership club Livingston.

Rice played for Hibernian, Nottingham Forest, Grimsby Town, West Bromwich Albion, Stoke City, Falkirk, Dunfermline Athletic, Clyde and Greenock Morton.

Since his retirement from playing, Rice has worked as a coach for Greenock Morton, Airdrieonians, Falkirk, Hibernian, Inverness Caledonian Thistle, St Mirren and Livingston. He has also managed Hamilton Academical and Alloa Athletic.

Playing career

Born in Whitburn near Harthill, Rice began his career with Hibernian. He made 98 appearances for Hibs in five seasons at Easter Road, scoring 12 goals. During his time at Hibs, Rice won the 1982 European Under-18 Championship with Scotland.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/52439322 |title=When Scotland enraged Van Basten & won the Under-18 European Championship in 1982 |publisher=BBC Sport |date=16 June 2022}}

He was signed by Nottingham Forest manager Brian Clough for £175,000 in August 1985. During his time there, Forest won the Football League Cup twice, in 1989 and 1990. He scored a memorable winning goal in the sixth round of the FA Cup against Arsenal in 1988, and became a 'cult hero' with the fans due to his lack of pace.{{cite web|title=Brian Rice|url=http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football/nottingham-forest-fc/brian-rice-5358/biography-1985-86-1990-91_a12122/|work=Sporting heroes|access-date=28 February 2013}}

Whilst a Forest player, Rice had loan spells at Grimsby (making four appearances), West Bromwich Albion (making three appearances) and Stoke City (making 18 appearances in 1990–91). He made 115 appearances for Forest scoring 12 goals.

In August 1991 he returned to Scotland and signed for Falkirk, playing for them until the early part of the 1995–96 season. He then moved to Dunfermline followed by Clyde for two seasons each, and left Clyde at the end of the 1998–99 season.

Coaching career

In 2000, Rice was appointed assistant manager to Ian McCall at Greenock Morton, making one appearance as a player. Rice was then assistant manager to McCall at Airdrieonians, but the club went out of business in 2002. McCall and Rice then both moved to similar positions at Falkirk. McCall eventually moved on to Dundee United, while Rice continued at Falkirk, assisting John Hughes. He helped the club win the First Division in 2005 and reach the 2009 Scottish Cup Final.

Rice followed Hughes in returning to Hibernian when Hughes was appointed manager there in June 2009.{{cite news |url=http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/New-Hibs-manager-looks-forward.5350785.jp |title=New Hibs manager looks forward to continuing alliance with Rice |newspaper=Edinburgh Evening News |date=10 June 2009}}{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/h/hibernian/8133797.stm |title=Rice seeks new Fletcher for Hibs |publisher=BBC Sport |date=3 July 2009}} Rice also left the club when John Hughes departed as manager by mutual consent in October 2010.{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/h/hibernian/9057294.stm |title=Manager John Hughes parts company with Hibernian |publisher=BBC Sport |date=4 October 2010 |access-date=4 October 2010}} As of June 2015, Rice was coaching Al Khor in the Qatar Stars League. He left Al Khor in July 2015 to work for John Hughes at Inverness Caledonian Thistle.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/33541097 |title=Inverness CT: Brian Rice joins as assistant manager |publisher=BBC Sport |date=15 July 2015 |access-date=23 June 2018}} Rice continued as assistant manager at Inverness after Richie Foran succeeded Hughes as manager,{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36558465 |title=Inverness CT: Brian Rice stays on as assistant manager |first=Martin |last=Dowden |publisher=BBC Sport |date=17 June 2016 |access-date=23 June 2018}} and then when John Robertson replaced Foran.

Rice left Inverness in June 2018 to take the assistant manager position at St Mirren, working for Alan Stubbs.{{cite news |url=https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/sport/1500515/caley-jags-assistant-rice-given-permission-to-speak-with-st-mirren/ |title=Caley Jags assistant Rice given permission to speak with St Mirren |first=Andy |last=Skinner |newspaper=Press and Journal |date=19 June 2018 |access-date=23 June 2018}}

Rice took a lead coaching role for the first time in January 2019, when he was appointed head coach of Hamilton Academical.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47065253 |title=Brian Rice: Hamilton appoint former St Mirren assistant as new head coach |publisher=BBC Sport |date=31 January 2019 |access-date=31 January 2019}} During January 2020, Rice admitted that he had a gambling addiction.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51316752 |title=Brian Rice: Hamilton head coach left 'helpless and powerless' by gambling addiction after 10-game ban |first=Brian |last=McLauchlin |publisher=BBC Sport |date=30 January 2020 |access-date=31 January 2020}} He was banned from working on the touchline for ten matches (five of which were suspended) by the Scottish Football Association because he had regularly bet on football. This led to a wider debate in Scottish football about a perceived gambling culture, and sponsorship of clubs and competitions by gambling companies. He resigned from Hamilton in August 2021.{{Cite web|url=https://hamiltonacciesfc.co.uk/club-statement-brian-rice/|title=CLUB STATEMENT: BRIAN RICE|date=11 August 2021|access-date=11 August 2021|archive-date=11 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210811150043/https://hamiltonacciesfc.co.uk/club-statement-brian-rice/|url-status=dead}}

He was appointed Alloa Athletic manager in February 2022.{{cite web |url=https://news.stv.tv/sport/brian-rice-replaces-barry-ferguson-as-new-manager-at-alloa-athletic |title=Brian Rice appointed new manager at Alloa Athletic |first=Kevin|last=Scott |website=STV Sport |date=21 February 2022 |access-date=21 February 2022}} Rice left this position in November 2023 to become first team coach at Livingston.{{cite web |url=https://spfl.co.uk/news/brian-rice-leaves-alloa-for-livingston |title=Brian Rice leaves Alloa for Livingston |website=SPFL |date=9 November 2023 |accessdate=9 November 2023}}

Career statistics

=Player=

rowspan="2"\|Club !rowspan="2"\|Season !colspan="3"\|League !colspan="2"\|FA Cup !colspan="2"\|League Cup !colspan="2"\|Other{{efn\|Includes Football League Trophy, Full Members Cup, Mercantile Credit Centenary Trophy and Scottish Challenge Cup.}} !colspan="2"\|Total
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" \|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition{{ENFA}}
Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
rowspan="6"\|Hibernian \|1980–81 \|Scottish First Division \|1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
1981–82 \|Scottish Premier Division \|1	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	2	0
1982–83 \|Scottish Premier Division \|22	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	23	2
1983–84 \|Scottish Premier Division \|25	5	1	0	7	1	0	0	33	6
1984–85 \|Scottish Premier Division \|35	4	1	0	2	0	0	0	38	4
colspan="2"\|Total !84	11	3	0	11	1	0	0	98	12
rowspan="7"\|Nottingham Forest \|1985–86 \|First Division \|19	3	0	0	3	2	0	0	22	5
1986–87 \|First Division \|3	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	4	0
1987–88 \|First Division \|30	2	4	1	3	0	1	0	38	3
1988–89 \|First Division \|20	1	0	0	5	0	1	0	26	1
1989–90 \|First Division \|18	2	0	0	3	0	2	0	23	2
1990–91 \|First Division \|1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
colspan="2"\|Total !92	9	4	1	15	2	4	0	115	12
Grimsby Town (loan) \|1986–87 \|Second Division \|4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	0
West Bromwich Albion (loan) \|1986–87 \|Second Division \|3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0
\|Stoke City (loan) \|1990–91 \|Third Division \|18	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	18	0
rowspan="6"\|Falkirk \|1991–92 \|Scottish Premier Division									\|
1992–93 \|Scottish Premier Division									\|
1993–94 \|Scottish First Division									\|
1994–95 \|Scottish Premier Division									\|
1995–96 \|Scottish Premier Division									\|
colspan="2"\|Total !101	8	0	0	0	0	0	0	101	8
rowspan="3"\|Dunfermline Athletic \|1995–96 \|Scottish Premier Division \|6	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	6	0
1996–97 \|Scottish Premier Division \|4	0	1	0	2	0	0	0	7	0
colspan="2"\|Total !10	0	1	0	2	0	0	0	13	0
rowspan="3"\|Clyde \|1997–98 \|Scottish Second Division \|31	2	1	0	1	0	1	0	34	2
1998–99 \|Scottish Second Division \|18	0	4	0	0	0	0	0	22	0
colspan="2"\|Total !49	2	5	0	1	0	1	0	56	2
Greenock Morton \|1999–2000 \|Scottish First Division \|1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
colspan="3"\|Career total !362	30	13	1	29	3	5	0	409	34

=Managerial record=

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center" \|+ Managerial record by team and tenure
rowspan="2"\|Team !rowspan="2"\|Nat !rowspan="2"\|From !rowspan="2"\|To !colspan="8"\|Record !rowspan=2\|{{abbr\|Ref\|Reference}}
{{Tooltip\|G\|Games managed}} !{{Tooltip\|W\|Games won}} !{{Tooltip\|D\|Games drawn}} !{{Tooltip\|L\|Games lost}} !{{Tooltip\|Win %\|Winning percentage}}
align="left" \|Hamilton Academical \|{{flagicon\|Scotland}} \|align=left\|31 January 2019 \|align=left\|11 August 2021 {{WDL\|94\|23\|24\|47}} \|{{cite web\|url=https://www.soccerbase.com/teams/team.sd?team_id=1187&teamTabs=results\|title=2018–19 Hamilton Academical Fixtures & Results\|publisher=Soccerbase\|access-date=2 February 2019}}
align="left" \|Alloa Athletic \|{{flagicon\|Scotland}} \|align=left\|21 February 2022 \|align=left\|9 November 2023 {{WDL\|73\|32\|12\|29}} \|
colspan=4 \| Career Total {{WDLtot\|167\|55\|36\|76}} !—

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"

|+ Managerial record by team and tenure

rowspan="2"|Team

!rowspan="2"|Nat

!rowspan="2"|From

!rowspan="2"|To

!colspan="8"|Record

!rowspan=2|{{abbr|Ref|Reference}}

!{{Tooltip|W|Games won}}

!{{Tooltip|D|Games drawn}}

!{{Tooltip|L|Games lost}}

!{{Tooltip|Win %|Winning percentage}}

align="left" |Hamilton Academical

|{{flagicon|Scotland}}

|align=left|31 January 2019

|align=left|11 August 2021

|{{cite web|url=https://www.soccerbase.com/teams/team.sd?team_id=1187&teamTabs=results|title=2018–19 Hamilton Academical Fixtures & Results|publisher=Soccerbase|access-date=2 February 2019}}

align="left" |Alloa Athletic

|{{flagicon|Scotland}}

|align=left|21 February 2022

|align=left|9 November 2023

colspan=4 | Career Total

!—

Honours

Falkirk

Scottish Challenge Cup: 1993–94{{Cite news |first=David |last=McKinney |title=Football: Falkirk find their fire |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-falkirk-find-their-fire-1467272.html |work=The Independent|location=London |date=13 December 1993 |accessdate=22 April 2021 }}

Scotland Youth