Cotterill has not managed since leaving Burnley in November 2007
Notts County have appointed Steve Cotterill as their new manager until the end of the season.
The former Burnley boss, 45, takes over just a week after the Magpies named Dave Kevan as caretaker boss until the end of the current campaign.
Kevan, who worked with Cotterill at Stoke and Burnley, will revert to his former role as assistant manager.
Cotterill told BBC Radio Nottingham: "It came out of the blue but I'm looking forward to the challenge."
Cotterill is the fourth different boss at Meadow Lane this season, following Ian McParland, Kevan and Hans Backe.
We wanted to make sure that promotion was a certainty and not a possibility
Chairman Ray Trew
He said: "It's been very much a whirlwind - I've met a lot of good people in a short amount of time.
"I don't know whether there's a vision at the moment - that's probably a bit longer-term.
"If the club had gone into administration, I would have still come here because I think we can reach the play-offs."
He has also managed Cheltenham and Stoke, and was assistant manager to Howard Wilkinson at Sunderland.
But Cotterill, whose first match in charge will be the home game against Hereford on Saturday, has not held a managerial post since leaving Burnley in November 2007.
Chairman Ray Trew said: "We had two managers in mind when we first took ownership.
"We were going to not appoint one until the summer but we felt the place needed a lift.
"We wanted to make sure that promotion was a certainty and not a possibility."
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