The 60-year-old took on the role on Monday, and has already made an impression on his first day at work.
Cox told iFollow Iron: “He’s going to help us get organised, while also working with the forwards. We need to score goals and I want to play two up front. We have a lot of wide men in the squad and he’s going to work with them as well. He arrives with a load of experience and has a smile on his face. He had a laugh and joke with the players and you could tell the boys like him already, and that’s what I need.
“I’ve been trying (to bring Mark in) for a couple of weeks now and when I first knew I was getting the job I spoke to Mark. He was somebody I wanted in the football club. I was a player with him here and he went and did a bit of coaching work while I was a player at Watford too, putting some sessions on there. He’s been in this role before, he’s been a manager and I need somebody behind me I can trust like him.”
A former Iron player of almost 100 appearances, Lillis was assistant manager for a three-year spell between 1996 and 1999 too and left the club to take on the job of managing Halifax Town on a high after the Division Three play-off final win against Leyton Orient at Wembley Stadium.
Cox explained: “When I said to him I was looking for an assistant manager he was over the moon. He was confident, ready to go and saying ‘let’s get started’! Now he’s signed, I’m over the moon. He’s been brilliant this morning and is bubbly, bright, telling you stories and he has a great confidence. That’s what we needed to bring to this football club.
“He and Russ (Wilcox, Under-23s manager) will challenge me like I will challenge them. After the game against Doncaster Rovers on Saturday they were having words about all sorts of aspects.
“It’s all about the present. We all need to work hard as a team, and have a spirit between ourselves. Our one aim is to make our football club better and that’s what we intend to do.”
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