Tony Pulis has pulled off a shock move to bring Gary Megson back to West Brom after assistant Dave Kemp retired.
Kemp, 64, first worked alongside Pulis at Portsmouth in 1999 and has since followed him to Stoke, Plymouth, Crystal Palace and Albion.
But he missed Albion’s pre-season training camp in Austria and the Premier League Asia Trophy and has now quit.
Baggies boss Pulis,59, has replaced him with Megson, who has been out of work since being sacked by Sheffield Wednesday in 2012.
But he formerly managed Albion from 2000-2004 when he kept them up in the second tier and then guided them into the Premier League.
Megson endured a fractious relationship with then chairman Jeremy Peace, who has since sold up to new Chinese owners.
Pulis said: “I’ve known Gary from my early days at Bristol Rovers when his dad Don gave me my debut and Gary would turn up to train as a 17-year-old.
“He’s been out of things for a while but that’s what attracted me in many ways – he’s fresh, he will hit the ground running and he’s a person I know I can bounce things off.”
Megson said: “I’m really pleased. I’ve known Tony a long time and although we’ve never lived in each other’s pockets we have similar views on how football should be played and how footballers should behave.
“I loved my time here although it’s a long time ago now. You obviously have the club you grow up supporting which you always consider to be your club.
“But this is as close to that relationship as possible – and I can’t pay it a higher compliment than that. It’s a terrific club with terrific support.”
But the loss of long-term assistant Kemp is a blow to Pulis who admitted he was “praying” he continued.
South Coast-based Pulis explained: “He lives out in America with his wife and his family are out there.
“Dave has a life to live and I understand that. He spends most of his life away.”
Pulis himself only has one year left on his contract and so far just signed Jay Rodriguez for £12million and brought in Egyptian defender Ahmed Hegazi on loan.
He has also lost skipper Darren Fletcher to Stoke after a contract wrangle.
Pulis faces a big battle to prise England defender Ben Gibson away from relegated Middlesbrough and is chasing other ambitious targets including Chris Smalling and Phil Jones.
MEGSON’S BAGGIES BAGGAGE
2000 - appointed manager in March with West Brom threatened by relegation to the third tier. But a victory on the last day of the season kept them up
2001 - West Brom qualified for the play-offs, but lost to Bolton in the semi-finals.
2002 - steers them into the Premier League for the first time, but falls out with chairman Paul Thompson who resigns. Jeremy Peace takes over.
2003 - relegated after just one season
2004 - Megson takes them back up at the first attempt but falls out with Peace and says he would refuse to sign a new contract if was offered. It was interpreted as his resignation and he was dismissed in October