New Munster role for Mike Prendergast lights clear pathway to head coach job

Prendergast, currently Munster's attack coach, will be elevated to senior coach while Ian Costello will become the province's general manager. 

Munster attack coach Mike Prendergast was one of those to throw his hat into the ring for the head coach job at Thomond Park. Pic: ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne

There will clearly be disappointment for Mike Prendergast with the appointment of Clayton McMillan as Munster’s next head coach on Wednesday evening but with that announcement there now appears to be a clear pathway to the attack coach’s eventual ascendancy to the role with his native province which matches his ambitions.

Prendergast’s elevation to senior coach and a broadening of his remit for next season which gives him “a more central role in team preparation, strategy, selection and recruitment” looks like a long-awaited implementation of some succession planning at Munster, with McMillan apparently happy to buy in and lead a home-grown coaching group in which the overlords at the IRFU are thoroughly invested.