Fitzgerald says Reds will not rush coach decision
The Munster chief executive spoke to the media yesterday, five days after Penney shocked players and supporters by announcing his intention to turn down a one-year contract extension and accept an offer with an as-yet unnamed Japanese club.
Fitzgerald said Penney’s decision was disappointing but he understood the coach’s desire to seek longer-term financial security and insisted Munster Rugby had done all it could to try and retain him.
“We agreed the initial terms of his contract, which he was happy with,” Fitzgerald said. “He subsequently got an offer that was more attractive for him to consider. It was part of our long-term plan we’d have Rob for a three-year cycle. We felt we needed to get that cycle with players and young players coming through the squad. I’m happy we did everything right and professionally. I don’t have any regret on that situation.”
Penney yesterday declined to discuss his decision, stating it was “my business” as his boss revealed that Munster and their IRFU paymasters had already held two meetings about the search for his successor and that there were already applications for the vacancy on his desk.
Forwards coach Foley is clear favourite to succeed Penney with Paul O’Connell saying the Munster players would be happy with his former team-mate taking the reins.
Fitzgerald said of the 2006 Heineken Cup-winning captain: “Anthony will get the head coach position, whether it is here or whether he has offers elsewhere, that’s something you have to take into account. Anthony certainly has the experience at Wolfhounds, national level at U20 level with us, A level and with the senior team.”
Yet while Fitzgerald accepted Foley was a leading contender — “it’s common sense to say he must be” — he insisted he was under no pressure to appoint Foley, even though he is also out of contract this summer and there is a risk of losing his services should he be overlooked.
“There isn’t any pressure on. You have to approach it in a professional, practical, open fashion in what’s best for Munster. If you personalise it, you’re losing the run of the business side of it. There’s a risk of losing people in this business every day of the week. There’s offers in for people every day of the week. I dealt with two or three players this morning who have counter offers and they have our offers. You win some, you lose some.
“You have to get the best person for the job and if we didn’t appoint the best person for the job, we’d get criticised.”
Fitzgerald stressed: “The amount of quality coaches available at any one time is minimal. There are only, always, a small number of people with suitable experience available. There’s never an over-supply of coaches available.”
While revealing Munster Rugby was already down €600,000 on ticket income for the season, Fitzgerald insisted such issues would not impact on the search for a top-level head coach.
“The biggest debt we have for the year is in ticket sales — gate income — we’re about, possibly €600,000 down on ticket income for the year but other aspects of our income have improved. As a consequence of a (Heineken Cup) quarter-final and what we hope will be a knockout in the Rabo, we’ll be in a better position than what we budgeted for. There’s a budget in place and long-term planning and budgeting. That’s not an issue. Those budgets are put in place and are prioritised so the financial side of it isn’t an issue.”
One person not going anywhere this summer is Munster team manager Niall O’Donovan whom Fitzgerald revealed had signed a one-year extension and would remain alongside the new head coach at the top of the management structure, dismissing speculation linking former coach Declan Kidney with a return to the province as a director of rugby, though the ex-Ireland boss is still in contention for the head coach role.
“Our structure is based around having a head coach with a manager and assistant coaches. Ulster have a different approach, with a director of rugby operations, but we haven’t any intentions of changing our structure.”
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