Colin Calderwood has been named as the new manager of Cambridge on an 18-month contract.
Former Nottingham Forest boss Calderwood, who most recently was assistant manager at Aston Villa under Steve Bruce, replaces Joe Dunne who was sacked earlier this month.
In a statement, the club confirmed the 53-year-old will take charge of United for the first time against Morecambe on Saturday.
Cambridge director of football Graham Daniels told the club's official website: "Colin brings a wealth of experience and a track record of success as a player, manager and coach.
"He is a very respected character who clearly shares the values of the club. He has impressed us all during the process with his maturity, energy and hunger to succeed.
"We know that there is real talent in this squad which we will strengthen further in January. We all hope that under Colin's leadership we can build some greater consistency to improve our current league position."
