Leicester Tigers appoint Dan McKellar as new head coach
Dan McKellar recently stepped down as forwards coach of Australia
©Steve Haag
Leicester Tigers have announced the appointment of Dan McKellar as the new head coach from the 2023/24 season.
McKellar, who will join the Premiership club on a long-term deal, was recently the forwards coach of Australia which he joined in 2021.
He made more than 150 senior appearances as a loosehead prop for Souths Rugby Club and spent two seasons in the Queensland Reds squad from 2005-06, as well as stints in Ireland and Scotland in the latter stages of his playing career.
The 46-year-old was the head coach of Brumbies between 2018 and 2022 during which he guided them to the inaugural Super Rugby AU competition in 2020.
He also had worked with Japanese club NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes, Canberra Vikings, Tuggeranong Vikings in Canberra and Souths Rugby Club in Brisbane in the past.
“This has been a big decision for me and my family, to make the move to the other side of the world together, but it is one that we are very much looking forward to doing, to be a part of a club like Leicester Tigers,” he told the club’s official website.
“There are strong links with the community, with the supporters and knowing that I will be a part of game days at Mattioli Woods Welford Road with 25,000 people in the stands lights a fire for me.”
Leicester has been in the hunt for the new head coach since Steve Borthwick left the club to take the England coaching role with Richard Wigglesworth appointed the interim coach for the remainder of the ongoing campaign.
“We are delighted to be able to confirm Dan McKellar’s appointment to the Head Coach role at Leicester Tigers from next season,” said Leicester Tigers Chief Executive Officer Andrea Pinchen.
“This has been a rigorous process, over a period of almost six months, and always been about ensuring that we found the very best coach to lead this club into the future and Dan McKellar is that coach.
“He has displayed the characteristics of someone who understands what Leicester Tigers is about and is highly committed to seeing the club be successful and, more importantly, consistently successful.
“In all of the stages of this process, from early on in using data analytics to identify a list of 40 potential candidates, right up until meeting him and his family, we have been hugely impressed by the way in which Dan fits what Leicester Tigers is about.
