2:31 Andy Hinchcliffe says he was not surprised to see Huddersfield sack Jan Siewert
Cowley, who had been in charge of Lincoln for the past three years alongside his brother Nicky, had distanced himself from a move to Huddersfield last Tuesday.
He said at the time: “For us, no disrespect to Huddersfield, who are an excellent club and have had an amazing period getting into the Premier League, but we have worked very hard at this football club [Lincoln] over the years we have been here.
“Our club is in a really good place, so for us to consider moving our families and ourselves from this football club it would have to be the perfect opportunity.”
1:28 Lincoln City boss Danny Cowley says only the 'perfect opportunity' would tempt him to leave as he is linked with the Sheffield Wednesday job
However, Huddersfield chairman Phil Hodgkinson explained: “Having approached Lincoln City and gained permission to speak to the Cowleys, they initially decided they wanted to continue the superb job they had done at that club and turned down the opportunity to discuss our job.
“At that stage we could have easily pursued one of the other options we had identified – all of which are fine managers – but David (Webb) and I felt it was important to try and persuade them to talk to us. We firmly believed that they were the best men to take us forward, and we didn’t want to give up on them.
“Our persistence paid off and when we spoke, there was an obvious chemistry. They believe in the way we operate as a club and it affirmed that they would be a superb fit for us. As such, I’m delighted that they are joining us.”
Cowley: Lincoln story a fairytale
Cowley departs Sincil Bank after managing 176 games for Lincoln, overseeing the club’s promotion back to the Football League in 2017.
He also guided the Imps to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup in the 2016/17 campaign when Lincoln were still in the National League, defeating Burnley, Ipswich and Brighton in the process.
Cowley’s side were also crowned League Two champions last term, winning the division by a six-point margin.
In a message to Lincoln’s supporters, Cowley said: “This, without doubt, is the hardest decision of our lives that Nicky and I have had to make. We know that many people may not understand but we feel the least we can do is offer you an explanation.
“The past three-and-a-half years have been so unbelievably special. It has simply been a fairytale for Nicky and I. The way you as a community have taken us in and looked after us and our families has been just incredible. For that, we will be forever grateful.”
Explaining the reasoning behind his decision, Cowley added: “Nicky and I have a burning ambition to challenge ourselves at the highest possible level. We don’t know if an opportunity as good as this one will come around again and we never want to live with regret.
“It has been the greatest privileges for Nicky and I to manage Lincoln City FC. We will forever hold this football club in our hearts and with Concord Rangers FC it will always be the first result that we look for.
“We will never ever forget the support we have had and know that we would not be in this fortunate position without all of you.”
Lincoln chairman, Clive Nates, added: “Danny and Nicky leave with our best wishes and we sincerely hope they go on to have further success in their careers.
“We have achieved unprecedented success over the past three years which has allowed us to transform all aspects of the club ensuring we are in a strong position to continue that progress.”
Sky Sports News understands Cowley was earning around £140,000 per year at Lincoln and will be paid in excess of £1m a year as the new Huddersfield boss.
1:50 Highlights of the Sky Bet Championship match between Luton and Huddersfield Town
His first game in charge will be against Sheffield Wednesday at the John Smith’s Stadium on Saturday, live on Sky Sports Football from 11.30am; kick-off 12pm.
Jamie McCombe and Andy Warrington will take charge of Lincoln with the support of Jez George, the club’s head of football, until a new management team is appointed.
One target on Lincoln’s list of replacements is believed to be Newport County manager Michael Flynn.
Sourse: skysports.com
