Plumtree on Gloucester wishlist
Gloucester Managing Director Ken Nottage has admitted the English Premiership club have a shortlist of four candidates for their head coaching post.
Bryan Redpath stepped down as head coach last month and forwards specialist Carl Hogg took charge for Gloucester's final two league games of the season against Sale Sharks and London Irish.
Hogg's team lost both matches and although he has made it clear he wants to replace Redpath on a permanent basis, Gloucester officials have held talks with several candidates in Britain and the southern hemisphere.
Former Bath boss Steve Meehan, current Scarlets head coach Nigel Davies and former Swansea coach John Plumtree, who heads up the Durban-based Sharks in South Africa, have all been linked with the job, with Gloucester hoping to have the new coach in place by the end of May.
"There has been a lot of work going on and we are making some very good progress," Nottage said, adding: "There are various possible structures, ranging from a Director of Rugby who doesn't do much hand on coaching but who works with a team of coaches to a DoR who does coach or possibly appointing a head coach.
"We are now down to a much shorter list with, realistically, four options available to us. We are handling the process carefully and doing things by the book.
"Carl [Hogg] has expressed an interest in the role of head coach.
"He has met with several members of the board and presented his thoughts, and that will be taken into account when we come to make a decision.
"It all depends upon the individual, their level of experience and their skill set."
A host of names have been linked with Gloucester over the past few weeks and Nottage refused to be drawn.
However, he did stress that Carl Hogg has been given an opportunity to speak with the board.
"It would be completely unprofessional of me to name names at this stage. We are handling the process carefully and doing things by the book."
With the first team squad reporting back for preseason training in the third week of June, a timely outcome is of the essence and Nottage is confident that an appointment will be made well in advance of that.
"We quoted a timescale of the end of the month. At this point in time, we are still on target for that date."
