TUCKER, St James — DEAN Weatherly will once again take over the reins at Red Stripe Premier League club Montego Bay United, following the departure of American Timothy Hankinson, who left the job after just over two months to take up more lucrative offers in his native United States.

Weatherly took over the team late last season after the departure of Carlos Garcia, and led them to the final against Arnett Gardens. He started the 2015/2016 season as the head coach before the arrival of Hankinson in August, and is set to have his first training session today, after the team was given three days off following a hectic period last week.

After leading the team in their first ever ScotiaBank CONCACAF Champions League game on August 5 in Panama against Arabe Unido, Weatherly will be calling the shots when Montego Bay United take on Portmore United on Sunday, as the second round of the Red Stripe Premier League gets under way.

It is not certain, however, if Weatherly will be the permanent replacement for Hankinson, as Montego Bay United’s president Orville Powell said that “they would be reviewing the situation.”

He regretted the much travelled 60-year-old American’s departure, saying that he had hoped the coach would have stayed longer.

“We knew from he took up the assignment that there was the possibility he could leave us early,” Powell told the Jamaica Observer West on Monday.

“It was not easy for him (Hankinson), as he had grown attached to the team, but we understood from the start that if the offers came, he had to consider them for the sake of his family.”

Hankinson, who is well regarded in American football circles, and is said to be considering several openings in the American Major League Soccer, told the team of his decision to leave MBU after Sunday’s 3-0 win over Rivoli United in the RSPL that saw them ending the first round as leaders, with 24 points.

Montego Bay United won seven of their 11 first-round matches, drawing three, after losing their opening game to promoted Portmore United in September, and are on a 10- game unbeaten run.

Weatherly was the man at the helm late in the last two seasons when Montego Bay United made successive trips to the Red Stripe Premier League finals.

Two seasons ago, he was the third man to lead the team, guiding them to their first ever win with a big 5-2 victory over Waterhouse. However, he came up short last season, after taking over from Garcia, losing to Arnett Gardens.

Powell told the Observer West on Monday that “there must be continuity in the process, arguing that “Hankinson has done wonders here, not just on the field, but in how the players approached the game, and that cannot be allowed to stop.”