Following Monday afternoon's surprise departure of manager Dean Smith and First Team Coach Richard O'Kelly, media outlets are reporting that former Tamworth, Peterborough United, and Swindon Town manager Mark Cooper has expressed his interest in the now vacant Banks's Stadium job.
SkySports.com report; Mark Cooper is interested in replacing Dean Smith as Walsall boss, it is understood.
The former Swindon manager is available after leaving the Country Ground last month - but Press Association Sport understands Chesterfield have already made contract with the 46-year-old.
Walsall are just three points off the top of Sky Bet League One ahead of Tuesday's trip to Shrewsbury and Cooper is believed to be keen on the job after the formalities of his Swindon exit were finalised.
The Saddlers are looking for a new manager after Smith left to join Brentford on Monday following nearly five years in charge at the Banks's Stadium.
The 44-year-old watched his new side draw 1-1 at Bolton in the Sky Bet Championship and will take charge of his first game when the Bees host MK Dons on Saturday.
Cooper's style and philosophy is likely to suit the Saddlers, who work on a tight budget, and he developed midfielders Massimo Luongo and Ben Gladwin before they were sold to QPR in the summer and turned Nathan Byrne into a winger and sold him to Wolves.
He worked with small budget during his two years at the Robins but still took them to the Sky Bet League One play-off final last season, only to lose 4-0 to Preston.
He left Swindon in October after an eight-match winless streak with chairman Lee Power naming himself caretaker manager before appointing Martin Ling as their new boss.
Saddlers development coach John Ward is in caretaker charge for the game at Shrewsbury but it would be a surprise to see the former Bristol Rovers manager handed the job full time.
Chesterfield are also searching for a new boss after sacking Dean Saunders at the weekend following the 4-0 defeat to Swindon. The Spireites are 16th in League One and are planning talks with Cooper.
SOURCE | SKY SPORTS