(Reuters) - Birmingham City have named Pep Clotet as their head coach on permanent basis after his six-month stint as the caretaker at St Andrew's Stadium, the Championship side said on Wednesday.
Clotet, 42, was assistant to Garry Monk, who was dismissed in June after 15 months at the club.
The Spaniard, who previously managed Oxford United, has guided Birmingham to 15th place in English soccer's second tier after 19 games this season.
"Pep has shown his coaching expertise, man-management and leadership skills, allied to exemplary professional conduct, that can help take the club forward," the club said in a statement.
"We have a clear vision of what our footballing philosophy needs to be and Pep and his staff have begun to implement that in a short space of time."
Birmingham visit 18th-placed Reading in the Championship on Saturday.
(Reporting by Hardik Vyas in Bengaluru; Editing by Alex Richardson)