Foley to 'relaunch' the Force
Michael Foley has officially signed a three-year deal as coach of the Western Force just a day after resigning from his post with the Waratahs.
A former Wallabies assistant coach and Bath forwards coach, Foley joined the Waratahs coaching team in 2009 before taking charge of the team at the beginning of this season.
The former Wallaby hooker helped the Waratahs to the Super Rugby play-offs in 2010 and 2011 as an assistant coach, but the team's fortunes took a significant dive this year once he took over as head coach and they finished the season in eleventh place following a horror run of eight consecutive losses to end the season.
The Force, who finished as the bottom-placed Australian side in the competition this year, have been looking for a coach ever since Reds-bound Richard Graham parted ways with the franchise mid-season.
The Perth-based Force managed just three wins this year, and were dealt a huge blow last week when captain David Pocock defected to the Brumbies.
Foley said that despite the recent setbacks, he is confident that with enough support the team can make big improvements in the future.
"This is an important period for the club and, while we're not looking to start from scratch, we're looking to relaunch the team," Foley said.
"There's no doubt the club has had a few setbacks in recent times but there are many people at the club, both on and off the field, that are very determined to see the Force successful.
"While my expectations are realistic, I'm very excited about this challenge," he added.
