Tigers Coaching Team - 2023/2024 Season

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Pellsey
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Re: Tigers Coaching Team - 2023/2024 Season

Post by Pellsey »

So with talent like that (as well as the younger lads as well as the old heads like Wells), we have no excuses!
TigerFeetSteve
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Re: Tigers Coaching Team - 2023/2024 Season

Post by TigerFeetSteve »

https://www.therugbypaper.co.uk/feature ... of-wilson/

Looks like Wilson has impressed Quins during his time with us and is set for an expanded role when he joins them.
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Re: Tigers Coaching Team - 2023/2024 Season

Post by TigerFeetSteve »

So with Leigh Jones going this is where we are for next season:
Head Coach: Dan Mckellar
General Manager: VACANT
Head of Senior recruitment: Richard Wilks
Defence Coach: Matt Everard
Attack Coach: VACANT
Scrum Coach: VACANT
Assistant Backs: Matt Smith
Assistant Forwards: Brett Deacon
Head of Physical Performance: VACANT
Head of Medical: Simon Wallace
Senior Performance Analyst: Matt Egan
Team Manager: Tessa Carrington

Alan Dickens is rumored in for the attack coach (though if we go back to a Head Coach & DOR could see him filling that role too)
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MurphysLaw
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Re: Tigers Coaching Team - 2023/2024 Season

Post by MurphysLaw »

[quote=TigerFeetSteve post_id=856034 time=1684492111 user_id=34255]
So with Leigh Jones going this is where we are for next season:
Head Coach: [b]Dan Mckellar[/b]
General Manager: [b]VACANT[/b]
Head of Senior recruitment: Richard Wilks
Defence Coach: Matt Everard
Attack Coach: [b]VACANT[/b]
Scrum Coach: [b]VACANT[/b]
Assistant Backs: Matt Smith
Assistant Forwards: Brett Deacon
Head of Physical Performance: [b]VACANT[/b]
Head of Medical: Simon Wallace
Senior Performance Analyst: Matt Egan
Team Manager: Tessa Carrington

Alan Dickens is rumored in for the attack coach (though if we go back to a Head Coach & DOR could see him filling that role too)
[/quote]

Not listed above is Danny Wilson's role - lineout and contact specialist. Presumably, the various roles to be filled will be at McKellar's behest, but both of these areas are such key parts of the game now, and he does seem to have been an important cog of this season's set-up.
Hot_Charlie
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Re: Tigers Coaching Team - 2023/2024 Season

Post by Hot_Charlie »

It would have been nice to have kept Wilson on (maybe if Sweeney had given us more money we could have bought him out of his Quins deal!); I think he deserves a lot of credit. Sadly given Hanro's comments in the post match video he is off.
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Re: Tigers Coaching Team - 2023/2024 Season

Post by TigerFeetSteve »

MurphysLaw wrote: Fri May 19, 2023 12:11 pm
TigerFeetSteve wrote: Fri May 19, 2023 11:28 am So with Leigh Jones going this is where we are for next season:
Head Coach: Dan Mckellar
General Manager: VACANT
Head of Senior recruitment: Richard Wilks
Defence Coach: Matt Everard
Attack Coach: VACANT
Scrum Coach: VACANT
Assistant Backs: Matt Smith
Assistant Forwards: Brett Deacon
Head of Physical Performance: VACANT
Head of Medical: Simon Wallace
Senior Performance Analyst: Matt Egan
Team Manager: Tessa Carrington

Alan Dickens is rumored in for the attack coach (though if we go back to a Head Coach & DOR could see him filling that role too)
Not listed above is Danny Wilson's role - lineout and contact specialist. Presumably, the various roles to be filled will be at McKellar's behest, but both of these areas are such key parts of the game now, and he does seem to have been an important cog of this season's set-up.
Didn't list that one here for 2 reasons.

1. it wasn't a role at the club before this season as Borthwick managed that, so it's more vs what we had at the start of the season than the end, for example Wigglesworth stepped away from the attack coach role.

2. Being a lineout guru who Borthwick phoned for advice means I suspect that McKellar will take that role on himself rather than recruiting in. May be wrong but doubt we'll add there.
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MurphysLaw
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Re: Tigers Coaching Team - 2023/2024 Season

Post by MurphysLaw »

TFS, I don't disagree with your logic and it will obviously be McKellar's call. But, the the 'contact' aspect has become an especially critical part of the game, and given Danny Wilson's success with players like Ben Youngs and others singing his praises, I think it is potentially a role that needs filling. We'll see, hopefully soon.
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Re: Tigers Coaching Team - 2023/2024 Season

Post by Darc Tiger »

Dickens has officially stepped down from his England role
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Re: Tigers Coaching Team - 2023/2024 Season

Post by Darc Tiger »

Confirmation

Dan McKellar, Head Coach
Brett Deacon, Assistant Coach
Alan Dickens, Attack & Backs Coach
Matt Everard, Defence Coach
Dan Palmer, Scrum Coach
Ollie Richardson, Head of Physical Performance
Matt Smith, Skills Coach & Lead Academy Coach
Richard Wilks, General Manager.
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Re: Tigers Coaching Team - 2023/2024 Season

Post by markharbtiger »

Deleted my original post
https://www.leicestertigers.com/news/cl ... achingteam
I'm most familiar with Dickens - anyone know anything about the other newbies?
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Re: Tigers Coaching Team - 2023/2024 Season

Post by Tigerbeat »

markharbtiger wrote: Mon May 29, 2023 12:11 pm Deleted my original post
https://www.leicestertigers.com/news/cl ... achingteam
I'm most familiar with Dickens - anyone know anything about the other newbies?
Dan Palmer was working for Brumbies and Australia I read….so a good signing.

Leicester Tigers have appointed Dan Palmer to the role of Scrum Coach from next season.

The 34-year-old will join Tigers from the Wallabies following the 2023 Rugby World Cup, after recently being appointed to a short-term role within the Australian national side’s coaching team.

Palmer has spent the past three seasons as Scrum Coach for the ACT Brumbies, where he worked with incoming Leicester Tigers Head Coach Dan McKellar.

He also previously worked as part of the coaching team with Japanese club Suntory Sungoliath and Australia ‘A’.

The former international front-rower retired from playing in 2015, which included stints with Super Rugby side’s NSW Waratahs and the Brumbies.

He was capped in 2012 by the Wallabies after previously representing Australia at Under-18, Under-19 and Under-20 age-grade levels.

After retiring from professional rugby, Palmer spent three seasons as a set piece coach with the Brumbies before completing a double degree in Science & Psychology and first class Honours in Neuroscience.

Discussing the appointment of Palmer, incoming Leicester Tigers Head Coach Dan McKellar said: “Dan is a world class scrum coach, who is very detailed and possesses a great understanding of the transfer from what is done within the gym to what is done on the pitch.”

“He is diligent in his planning, both in terms of the system we will build and the match-by-match planning he undertakes for each opposition, which is vital to being as best prepared as we can be.

“While he has been coaching a long time, Dan is also not long retired from playing, in Australia and Europe, and one of his great strengths is in the ability he has to connect with, build trust and earn the respect of the players.”

Speaking about his appointment ahead of next season, Palmer said: “The opportunity to coach quality players in a world-class competition was very appealing to me.”

“I have heard a lot about Mattioli Woods Welford Road and Leicester’s passionate supporter base, which I’m really looking forward to experiencing.

“Dan [McKellar] and I have coached together for a quite a while and I enjoy working with him - he is a detailed and hard-working coach.

“We are very much aligned in how we approach the game and given the strengths of the Leicester team, I think he will be a great fit take the club forward.

“Leicester Tigers prides itself on powerful forward play and strong set piece; we will certainly be looking to emphasise and build on the traditional strengths of the team that have been established over a long period of time.

“I have a huge amount of respect for the Leicester Tigers. I’m very honoured and excited to be joining a club with such a rich history.”
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Re: Tigers Coaching Team - 2023/2024 Season

Post by Tigerbeat »

Leicester Tigers have appointed Ollie Richardson to the role of Head of Physical Performance from next season.

Richardson, who spent six seasons with Tigers between 2005-2011, will join Dan McKellar’s coaching team in the summer after two years with Rugby New York.

Prior to America, he previously worked as part of coaching teams in England, Australia, Japan in rugby union and rugby league, as well as mixed martial arts.

Richardson began his career at Tigers in 2004, working as a Strength & Conditioning Coach until 2011 when he moved to the Queensland Reds as Head of Physical Performance.

During his first tenure in Leicester, he was also Strength & Conditioning Coach for England Saxons and, between 2007-2011, he was Head Strength and Conditioning Coach with Team RoughHouse Mixed Martial Arts.

In 2015, he moved to Japanese club Kubota Spears before returning to the United Kingdom as Head of Performance for Super League club, Huddersfield Giants in 2019 and, in 2021, Richardson took on the role as Head of High Performance with Rugby New York.

Discussing the appointment of Richardson, incoming Leicester Tigers Head Coach Dan McKellar said: “I am very pleased to have Ollie as part of the coaching team from next season.”

“It is important to me that there are people in our group who understand what the club is about, what it means to be a part of it and Ollie, who spent a seven years here, is most definitely that.

“In addition to what he knows of Leicester, he returns with a great wealth of experience from around the world in different sports to share with our group. What impresses me most about Ollie is that the most important thing is the rugby; he knows his role is to not just make them fit, fast and robust, but all those things to play rugby.”

Speaking about his appointment ahead of next season, Richardson said: “After talking to Dan [McKellar] about where the squad is, the transformation the club is going through and infrastructure that is being put in place, it was undeniably exciting and something I wanted to be a part of at Leicester Tigers.”

“The opportunity to come back to Tigers, a club that I have worked with before and have a great amount of respect for, was a no brainer for me.

“Anything less than winning at Leicester is unacceptable and I love that mentality. That culture and that mindset is not everywhere; I have been around the world at various organisations and I can tell you, it’s a unique place that I am so excited to again be able to contribute to from next season.

“In conjunction with the rest of the coaching team, I believe my role is to help provide the players the very best platform to play to their potential and express themselves as rugby players and athletes.

“I am confident that with this incredible group of players, we have a lot of exciting times ahead and I am looking forward to being a part of Leicester Tigers again.”
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Re: Tigers Coaching Team - 2023/2024 Season

Post by Tigerbeat »

Leicester Tigers have appointed Alan Dickens to the role of Attack and Backs Coach from next season.

Dickens joins Dan McKellar’s coaching team from England Rugby, where he was the lead coach in the Under-20s programme for the past four seasons.

Prior to joining England, he spent nine seasons as part of the coaching team at Northampton Saints which included roles with the club’s academy programme, attack and defence duties and was Interim Head Coach for the latter part of the 2017/18 campaign.

Dickens also worked as Defence Coach for England Saxons in 2016.

Prior to moving into coaching, he spent a decade as a professional player and represented Sale Sharks, Leeds Tykes, Saracens and Saints.

Discussing the appointment of Dickens, incoming Leicester Tigers Head Coach Dan McKellar said: “Alan is a hugely experienced coach with a great knowledge of the Premiership and European rugby, which will be of great value to our coaching team.”

“He also has the unique experience and understanding of a lot of our players, having worked closely with them throughout their England junior careers, and the way in which to get the very best from young players in the game.

“I have enjoyed the conversations we have had already about how we can evolve our game at Leicester Tigers and am excited to get to work with Alan next month ahead of the 23/24 season.”

Speaking about his appointment ahead of next season, Dickens said: “Leicester Tigers is a quality club and always have been, forever and a day. To have the chance to join this club now, at this exciting time under Dan, is an opportunity I am looking forward to.”

“I have had an association with a lot of the players in the squad from my time with England and know well just how much quality is in this squad, who I enjoyed working with in the past and am excited about working in the future alongside the rest of the players.

“This group of players are a hard-working group, everyone can see that, and it is certainly a squad that I am pleased to be able to help improve.

“The conversations with Dan have been great; he is clear in terms of how we wants to improve the side, what he wants to see in the attack and how he wants the side to play and I am looking forward to working with him and the coaching team on that.”
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Re: Tigers Coaching Team - 2023/2024 Season

Post by RagingBull »

Richard Wilks being appointed to Gm is a big one given he’s been doing very well as head of recruiting
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Re: Tigers Coaching Team - 2023/2024 Season

Post by Tigerbeat »

Leicester Tigers can confirm the club’s senior coaching team ahead of the 2023/24 season.

Dan McKellar, who was announced as the club’s new Head Coach in February, will oversee the rugby programme and lead on the line out and forwards coaching.

Brett Deacon will lead on the breakdown and contact area, while also assisting McKellar with the forwards.

Deacon made 135 first-team appearances in two spells as a player with Tigers before joining the coaching staff upon retiring in 2015. After working with the club’s academy for two seasons, he joined the senior coaching team ahead of the 2016/17 campaign.

Matt Everard, who joined the club midway the 22/23 season as Senior Academy Coach before taking on a permanent senior role in December 2022, is the Defence Coach.

After representing Tigers, Wasps and Nottingham as a player, Everard moved into coaching with The Archers before returning to Wasps as Academy Coach and moved into the senior coaching team ahead of the 2019/20 campaign.

Alan Dickens, Dan Palmer and Ollie Richardson are the additions to the club ahead of the new season.

Dickens will take charge of the Attack & Backs, Palmer is the Scrum Coach and Richardson joins as Head of Physical Performance.

Read more on the appointments of the trio here:

Alan Dickens
Dan Palmer
Ollie Richardson
Matt Smith will be the Skills Coach for the senior squad and take on the newly-created Lead Academy Coach role which sees him responsible for the Senior Academy Squad and transition of players from junior to senior rugby.

Smith made 228 appearances for Tigers before coaching the club’s academy side after retiring from playing in 2019, and joined the senior coaching team ahead of the 20/21 season.

Speaking about his coaching team, incoming Leicester Tigers Head Coach Dan McKellar said: “I am excited by the group we have put together, which has a great balance of continuity and new voices who will bring fresh ideas.”

“It was important to me that there was a mix of people who not only understand the Premiership, but vital that they understand Leicester Tigers and we have got that in Brett Deacon, Matt Everard and Matt Smith, as well as the majority of our performance staff who remain with the club.

“In addition, to have Alan Dickens and Ollie Richardson’s knowledge of the English game, players and competitions we compete in is of great value, and Dan Palmer’s expertise is very exciting for the club moving forward.

“What is most pleasing for me is that this coaching team are excited by the squad we have to work with from next season at Leicester Tigers, because of where they are at currently and work they have done but, importantly, how it can evolve.”
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