McAllister touted for Sky Blues

The former Scotland captain, 45, enjoyed a memorable playing spell with the Sky Blues between 1996-2000 before returning to the club as player-manager in 2002, resigning 20 months later to be with his wife while she underwent treatment for cancer.

Former Leeds captain and manager McAllister is joined at the top of most bookmakers' lists by former Celtic and West Brom manager Tony Mowbray and current Notts County chief Steve Cotterill.

Others in the frame include Phil Brown, Gareth Southgate, Alan Curbishley and Eric Black, who took over from McAllister in 2003 for a brief spell in charge and is currently assistant to Steve Bruce at Sunderland.

McAllister has not held a managerial position since being sacked by Leeds in December 2008 after a disappointing 11 months at the helm, which included a League One play-off final defeat to Yorkshire rivals Doncaster Rovers.

Coleman took the reins at the Ricoh Arena in February 2008 with the club 20th in the Coca-Cola Championship.

The Welshman kept them up by one point on the final day of that campaign before finishing 17th last term.

The Sky Blues battled their way through some sporadic form over the first half of this season before an impressive run at the turn of the year propelled them to within reach of the play-off places come mid-March.

But a dreadful run of 11 games without victory until the end of the season, culminating in Sunday's abject 4-0 home reverse by Watford, saw the Midlands outfit finish a lowly 19th.