The race for the Waratahs’ head coaching role just got a whole lot more interesting after Dan McKellar, the highly respected Australian coach, separated from Leicester Tigers over the weekend.
The decision to “mutually” part ways occurred when Australian attack coach Peter Hewat was en route to England.
It leaves a cloud of uncertainty at the Tigers, with fellow Australian Dan Palmer, the forwards coach renowned as one of the best in the business at the scrum, remaining at Welford Road.
Dan McKellar has departed as Leicester Tigers head coach after just one season. (Photo by Damien Eagers/PA Images via Getty Images)
McKellar, 47, sensationally left the Wallabies’ World Cup campaign in early 2023 after Eddie Jones was announced as the new head coach.
His arrival at Welford Road followed a domino-like series of events, with Steve Borthwick replacing Jones as England coach.
McKellar’s one – and only – year at the Tigers however was nothing but smooth.
The Tigers missed the finals after finishing eighth, lost in the Premiership Cup final and bowed out in the round of 16 of the Champions Cup to Leinster.
Just as significantly, the Tigers lost several games at home and blew their chances of making the top four after losing three straight matches in the run home before a swashbuckling 40-22 win over Exeter to round out the season.
Their handsome 18-point win over the Chiefs looked like being the momentum-building victory needed to head into the English summer with some hope.
Indeed, McKellar thought the victory would be the springboard needed in much the same way as 2018, where his Brumbies smashed the Waratahs in their final game of the season and went onto make the semi-final in every year after that one.
But the decision to part ways will put a halt to that.
“Leicester Tigers can confirm the departure of Dan McKellar from his role as Head Coach with immediate effect,” a statement read.
“The decision has been mutually agreed following extensive discussions regarding the club’s future direction.
“McKellar joined Tigers in July 2023 from the Wallabies – where he was assistant coach for the Australian national side – and oversaw 30 games at Tigers, in all competitions, during the 23/24 campaign.
“The club has commenced the process for finding a new head coach to lead the men’s programme into the 24/25 season. Pre-season training for the men’s players not on international duty commences on July 1 at Oval Park. We thank Dan for his contribution to Leicester Tigers and wish him, Carla, Amelie and Maya well for the future.”
The UK Telegraph reports Cheika, who previously was sounded out for the role that McKellar won, is once again in the reckoning for the role.
His former captain with the Argentina national side Julian Montoya is one of the Tigers’ stars.
Michael Cheika has been linked to the vacant Leicester head coaching role. (Photo by Paul Harding/Getty Images)
The Roar understands that Cheika’s strong preference is to coach in the NRL or take up a tier-one international country, with the Wallabies his ideal destination, especially with his family to return from France to Sydney.
The former Wallabies and Los Pumas head coach, who took Argentina to the 2023 World Cup semi-finals, has also had plenty of interest in France.
McKellar’s departure might appear abrupt but it’s believed his exit has been coming for some time.
Even before arriving in the English midlands, there was some angst over appointments.
Attack coach Alan Dickens was placed on leave early in the season and it’s believed McKellar didn’t support the decision to appoint him in the first place.
It led to McKellar not having an attack coach nor strength and conditioning coach for the majority of the season.
Hewat’s arrival was supposed to help that. Ultimately, though, there was a philosophical disagreement between where McKellar and the Tigers wanted to go.
His departure frees him up to have a late crack at the Waratahs, with the NSW board closing in on a director of rugby.
Dan McKellar was Dave Rennie’s right-hand man with the Wallabies during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
Once that role is confirmed, the Waratahs, in consultation with Rugby Australia, will look at filling the head coaching role.
While there are several candidates, including Scott Wisemantel, as well as John Connolly’s pick Stephen Hoiles, McKellar has the coaching pedigree and experience to be strongly considered.
After leading the Brumbies to consecutive semi-final appearances in 2019 and 2022, as well as the Super Rugby AU title in 2020 during the Covid-19 interrupted years, McKellar joined Dave Rennie as his forwards coach.
His appointment came after turning the Brumbies’ maul and tight-five into one of the best in Super Rugby, as well as the strong culture built at the Australian franchise.
Indeed, Borthwick contacted McKellar ahead of the 2019 World Cup to try and tap into the Australian’s deep knowledge of the maul.
Those qualities are something the Waratahs are in desperate need of. It’s also something McKellar is interested in, with the Australian long perplexed at the Waratahs’ lack of development and prioritisation of the tight-five.