Gordon Strachan admitted being appointed the Scotland manager was the culmination of a personal project "40 years in the making".
The former Celtic, Southampton, Coventry and Middlesbrough boss replaces Craig Levein, who was sacked in November, as the Scottish Football Association confirmed his appointment at Hampden.
He told Sky Sports News: ""I am very very proud in myself and my family are proud I've become Scotland manager.
It's a great day for me to do this and it's been 40 years in the making.
"There'll be rough times but I know there'll be good times too."
Strachan, whose contract runs up until Euro 2016, stated his desire to make Scotland a proud footballing country once more.
He said: "Every club you go to there's always challenges but this is the first time the challenges are in front of a nation.
"If you can be successful you can make a nation happy and make a nation proud and that is the priority for me to be able to do that with help from other people."