Rovers have confirmed the appointment of Valerien Ismael as their new head coach on a deal until June 2028.
The 49-year-old will be in the dugout at Ewood Park for the first time against Norwich City this weekend.
He replaces John Eustace, who left to join Championship strugglers Derby County earlier this month.
Ismael headed to English football in 2020 to join Barnsley and led the Tykes to the play-offs, missing out on the final after a narrow defeat against Swansea.
He left Oakwell the following summer to take charge at relegated West Brom but was dismissed in February 2022 despite sitting fifth in the table. The Baggies went on to finish in the play-offs but weren't promoted, losing to Aston Villa.
Ismael also had a stint in Turkey with Besiktas before heading to Watford, where he spent 10 months in the hot seat. He was the seventh manager the Hornets parted company with since the end of the 2021/22 campaign.
The Frenchman arrives at Ewood Park with Rovers sitting sixth in the table with 12 games to go as they battle to secure a play-off spot.
Ismael has worked with three members of the Rovers squad previously. Callum Brittain and Cauley Woodrow were part of his Tykes side, while he also coached Emmanuel Dennis at Watford.
“I am delighted to welcome Valérien to the club,” said chief executive Steve Waggott. “We were hugely impressed with Valérien throughout what was a rigorous recruitment process.
“He knows the Championship extremely well and what it takes to finish in the play-offs.
“He has played and managed in some of the biggest environments across Europe, and has all the credentials to have a successful spell with us over the coming years.
“We must also say a big thank you to David Lowe, Damien Johnson, Ben Benson, Mike Sheron and Paul Butler for all their support during the interim period and they will form part of Valérien’s backroom staff at the Senior Training Centre going forward.”
