Munster CEO Flanagan refuses to be rushed into head coach decision
Munster coaching team, from left, defence coach Denis Leamy, interim head coach Ian Costello and attack coach Mike Prendergast before the Investec Champions Cup Pool 3 match between Northampton Saints and Munster. Pic: Matt Impey/Sportsfile
Mike Prendergast is a “very strong candidate”, in the words of his chief executive, to become Munster’s next head coach but Ian Flanagan will not be rushed into appointing Graham Rowntree’s permanent replacement.
It is 11 weeks since Rowntree’s shock departure by mutual consent, but Flanagan has not been counting and will not start now, despite Prendergast’s declaration of his candidacy for the post on December 10 being the only solid development on the matter to emerge in the public domain.
Flanagan said plenty has been going behind closed doors to bring stability to the coaching group and the search for a new head coach is continuing without any need for an “artificial timeline”.
Interim head coach Ian Costello, the head of rugby operations, will look to build on improved performances this month when URC action resumes with a trip to Dragons in Wales on Saturday, backed by a coaching ticket of whom assistants Prendergast, Denis Leamy and Mossy Lawler have been secured on extended contracts to the summer of 2027.
“We're taking our time to get the decision right,” Flanagan said. “This is a huge decision for us in terms of the new head coach and ensuring then the structure the head coach is in is the right structure for Munster Rugby.
“You'd have heard Cossie say before that we look for Munster solutions, we want the right fit for us in terms of what we need, and that's what drove us to create the original director of rugby operations position a couple of years ago.
“So everything is being considered and nothing is being ruled out, but where we end up will be decided by us in terms of what's right for Munster Rugby. And when I say us, obviously every head coach is an IRFU employee, so the IRFU are very involved in this process.
"It’s being led on our side by our Professional Game Committee so we're in continuous dialogue between our Professional Game Committee, myself and the IRFU and we'll be meeting again this week.
“We'll be meeting again after the Dragons game for a review of where we are. We're reviewing candidates. Mikey has very publicly put his hat in the ring, he's a very strong candidate.
“We have a number of others from outside who've also put their hats in the ring, but as I said the focus on the period to date has been to review our structures, to review the whole high performance environment and to ensure that the right people are there for the future and that their futures are our long-term contracted with us, and they're tied in and will be part of the coaching team going forward.”
As to the refusal to give a firm timeline on the recruitment process, the Munster chief executive accepted there may be frustration outside the tent but would not be changing his approach.
“I'm not going to be tied to a timeline. Our focus was on contracting the individuals we wanted to contract and focus on performing in the games we had to perform in over the last eight weeks, nine weeks with Dragons coming up now. That is the absolute priority to ensure we start performing on the pitch and getting the results.
“The focus of the organisation has been on creating the support structures so that the player group and the coaches in situ can go and do their job and perform at the highest level.
“So that's all been going on but equally, we want to ensure we get this decision right and that means not rushing into a decision, not tying ourselves to an artificial timeline.
“Look, there's every chance the interim group will be the interim group for the foreseeable future. Our focus is on getting the structure right, having a robust recruitment process and then making the appointment that’s the right long-term appointment for Munster.”
Flanagan confirmed that interim group, also including forward coach consultant Alex Codling, double jobbing as an Ireland Women’s assistant, following the departure of Andi Kyriacou, would not be in place for pre-season.
Former Northampton and Hurricanes boss Chris Boyd will end his initial two-month performance consultancy at the end of this month but will present his review of Munster’s existing coaching structures and offer his thoughts on any changes required. Yet it appears a director of rugby will not be brought in.
“We're looking at every option. Ian Costello's role before he became an interim head coach was director of rugby operations, that was a new position created a couple of years ago and a lot of the responsibilities in that role would overlap with what people would see to be the normal responsibilities of a director of rugby.
“So the performance environment, the pathway, the holistic understanding of alignment between academy types of players being produced, depth chart, all that stuff sits within Cossie's existing remit.”
So the search continues for what will be a head coach prepared to work without the benefit of bringing in his own trusted acolytes.
“There are some parameters for the head coach whenever the head coach is appointed. There's a lot of coaches already in situ, who will be there for the duration of their contracts and hopefully beyond that. So whoever is appointed head coach won’t have the flexibility to bring in four or five new coaches.
“They're coming to a very settled and stable coaching ticket, really settled, really stable.
“The feedback from the players, and I include Alex Codling and Chris Boyd in this as well, has been excellent and the environment within the world of the HPC is really positive. I know there's talk out there that there’s been turbulence and chaos but that's completely at odds with the picture I see day today inside there.
"It's a very stable coaching environment and we have absolute trust in that group to run the show for as long as required.
"That allows us to have a very robust and thorough recruitment process and it's going to take as long as it's going to take for us to find the right individual. A key part of that work will obviously be getting the feedback of Chris Boyd when he moves on at the end of the month.”
Flanagan reiterated he was unable to comment on Rowntree’s October 29 departure but indicated there was no bad blood with the man who guided them to a first trophy in 12 years with the URC title in 2023.
“Unfortunately, when you're a business, and we are a business, and you talk about contracts and employment and everything else we’re very limited in terms of what we can say publicly, and unfortunately, that's the case.
“What I will say is I want to reiterate my thanks to Graham for everything he did and to wish him well for wherever he goes next as a coach. And to reiterate that he will always be incredibly welcome back to Thomond Park, Virgin Media Park, and he’ll always be a friend of Munster.”
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