Ricky Brangman has stepped down as the coach of Premier Division and Western Counties champions Southampton Rangers.

The former Rangers captain decided that the “time was right” to hand over the reins to assistant Janeiro Tucker after serving in the top post for nearly a decade.

“I just think that it’s time for Janeiro to step into the hot seat,” Brangman said. “He’s done good for cricket as a player and now it’s time for him to take his cricket to another level as coach.

“It will be nice to see him coach and do good things and I think he will do a damn good job.

“I think the players will support Janeiro and I wish him and the team all the best.”

Brangman admits his decision was not an easy one to make, given his strong ties both to the club and community.

“I’ve put practically all my life at Rangers,” he said. “This is where I came from and so it was a hard decision to make.

“I gave it a lot of thought and came to the decision that it’s Janeiro’s turn now and spoke with him about it.”

Brangman coached Rangers to numerous league and cup titles during his tenure at Southampton Oval.

However, it’s the friendships that he developed over the years with his players which he cherishes most.

“The best thing about the job was the players, getting to know guys,” he said. “Getting to know their likes and dislikes and stuff like that.

“The camaraderie and morale in the team was really nice.

“I was really pleased with the guys and want to thank everybody that came aboard when I was coaching and gave me their support.”

Brangman bows out on a high note having coached Rangers to the 50 Overs League, Open League and Western Counties titles last season.

He also received Coach of the Year honours at Bermuda Cricket Board’s prize-giving ceremony.