Why Coetzee is staying at the Stormers
Stormers coach Allister Coetzee said both the management team and players are ‘a very happy and settled group’.
Speaking at a media briefing, where it was announced that WP Rugby had signed a three-year extension to the contract with Coetzee to remain as head coach, he said he wanted to “put to bed” ongoing reports that linked him to the Bok job.
Earlier reports suggested that Coetzee was offered a position on new Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer’s backroom staff, but that Coetzee turned it down.
It was revealed that not only will Coetzee remain in the Stormers fold for the next three years, but the three-year contract extensions have also been offered to assistant coaches Robbie Fleck and Matthew Proudfoot, as well as to defence coach Jacques Nienaber – along with WP Vodacom Cup and Under-21 coach John Dobson.
Coetzee told the media briefing it was “never an easy decision” to turn down the Bok job.
“We started something here [at the Stormers] a while ago and there is still work to be done,” Coetzee said.
Coetzee said contrary to recent media reports the management team and players are a very happy and settled group.
“As a management team we were all eager to re-affirm our commitment to WP Rugby [as well as the Stormers] and hopefully this puts this matter to bed,” he said.
“The appointment of the High Performance Manager will streamline and simplify our contracting procedures, as well as handling all player and admin affairs, ensuring the coaches and athletes have complete freedom to focus solely on the game.”
.
Coetzee has experience at the highest level – having served as Bok backline coach during Jake White’s World Cup-winning tenure from 2004 to 2007, and was viewed as one of the favourites for the Bok job late last year.
Considering his experience in the Springbok set-up and success as head coach of the Stormers, a team he has guided to second place in the Super Rugby competition in 2010 and South African Conference winners last year (they lost in the semifinals to the Crusaders), his services were apparently sought by Meyer who is attempting to assemble his back-up staff.
