'Was I disappointed? I was but I'm a big boy, you've got to move on': Prendergast addresses Munster exit

Munster senior coach Mike Prendergast. Pic: James Crombie/Inpho

MIKE Prendergast has pledged to leave Munster in the best place he can ahead of his departure this summer - but insisted he was over the disappointment of missing out on the head coach’s role to Clayton McMillan.

The senior coach, who looks set to join Johann van Graan's Bath next season, admitted he had envisaged staying in his home province for a decade when he rejoined the club he had represented as a scrum-half before forging a coaching career in France.

He left Top 14 powerhouse Racing 92 in 2022 and reshaped Munster’s attack under head coach Graham Rowntree, helping to land the 2023-24 URC title. 

Yet Prendergast missed out on the top job following Rowntree’s departure in October 2024, with McMillan appointed as permanent replacement.

The Limerick man was upgraded from attack coach to senior coach at the same time but has now decided to move on after three and a half years at Munster and facing the media Tuesday, ahead of a must-win home URC derby clash with Ulster on Saturday, outlined his reasons for departing.

The Bath switch has not yet been officially announced, but speaking publicly for the first time since announcing his decision in February, Prendergast said: “There's one job I'm leaving for sure, and it's my own club but the one thing I want to do - players will talk about leaving the jersey in the best place. I want to try and leave the club in the best place as I can.

“For the club going forward, I think it's massively important that we get into Europe first next year and the way the league and the results have been going, you just don't know. You have three games and a lot of teams are playing each other. So that's kept you really, really busy and focused on what you need to do because a game or two can divert you the other way.

“But it's just one of those decisions. I just felt it was the right decision for myself going back a couple of months ago, and it was something I suppose I wanted to do for now.” 

Prendergast had made no secret of his ambition to become Munster head coach and has not ruled a return to Irish shores but he did not hide his disappointment at losing out to McMillan when the vacancy arose last season.

“When I didn't get the job, in this game, you can't feel sorry for yourself. As a coach, especially, you can't go in in front of 50, 60 lads and show disappointment.

“And I don't think I did either, to be honest. I got over it. I was disappointed. I was very disappointed, and I'll be very honest, and I was when it happened. But, like anything, you're a big enough boy. You've got to move on.

“Professional sport will bring disappointments, obviously with great moments, and there will be disappointments with it. That was probably a bit of a disappointment for myself, but, as I said, I got over it because we had a job to do at the end of last season as well… 

 “We had a good start to the season and I suppose, just one of those things that I had a decision to make, and I just took the decision that I would work outside of Munster next season.

“I wouldn't be human if I wasn’t disappointed. There was a decision the club had to make and they made it. I fully respect that. As I said, I was disappointed at the time. I got over it, I got on with it. I suppose the decision came up then again, not too long ago, and it was something I had to make. That's the kind of decision I went with.” 

Prendergast said he had not sought an exit from Munster, rather an offer had “popped up”. Nor did he rule out a return to Irish rugby in the future.

“Potentially, you can never say never. You can never say never, and I know it's a bit of a cliche, but in this game, you just don't know. I left Ireland in 2013 thinking that, I promised my daughter at the time, she was eight years of age, and I promised her it would be for a year or two, and next thing, it's 10 years later and we're coming home.

“Then you come home and you probably think you're going to be here for another 10 years, and three and a half years into it, you're diverting again. You can have a plan, but you've got to be ready for ways it's going to pull you as well. Sometimes it can pull you for the right reason, sometimes it can pull you for the wrong reason, and that's where you've got to make your decision.

“That's what I suppose I came down to.”