Former ACTย Brumbiesย andย Leicesterย Tigers mastermind Dan McKellar will be back coaching on Australiaโs shores next season after signing a three-year deal to become the NSW Waratahsโ new head coach, the club confirmed on Friday.
McKellar, 47, will succeed Darren Colman in the role after theย Waratahsย decided not to renew the former coachโs contract beyond this yearโs chaoticย Super Rugby Pacificย season. Injuries plagued their campaign as the New South Welshman won just two of 14 fixtures.
But thereโs a reason for Tahs fans to be excited about the future as the pieces of the clubโs new frontier continue to come together. After bringing onย Simon Raiwalui, the Sydney-based club has secured the services of a Super Rugby AU champion.
As Australian fans will no doubt remember, McKellar led the charge for the Brumbies as they claimed the title in 2020. That was just one standout moment from the coachโs career which has included stops domestically and abroad.
Itโs almost no surprise the Tahs described the highly-regarded rugby guru as โthe standout applicantโ in a statement. McKellar also worked with the Wallabies as an assistant coach for a few years, after all.
โWeโre delighted to have a head coach of Dan McKellarโs calibre joining the Waratahs,โ CEO Paul Doorn said in a statement.
โDan has an impressive coaching resume and achieved great success with the ACT Brumbies in Super Rugby during his five-year tenure.
โDan will work closely with High Performance Director Simon Raiwalui, and their partnership marks an exciting new frontier for the Waratahs.
โI am confident that the appointments of Dan and Simon will put the Waratahs on the path to delivering sustained success from 2025 and beyond.โ
McKellar played more than 150 games for South Rugby Club in Brisbane before moving into coaching. Th Australian was the head coach of the prestigious Queensland club from 2008 to 2010 before moving south to Canberra.
Tuggeranong Vikings brought McKellar on as a Coaching Director and Head Coach. McKellar later moved on to positions inย Japanย with NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes, the ACT Brumbies, University of Canberra Vikings and then back to Super Rugby with the Brumbies.
During that second stint with the Australian rugby powerhouse, the Brumbies made the semi-finals in 2019, won Super Rugby AU the following year, and backed that up with a valiant performance in the 2021 final against the Queenslandย Redsย in Brisbane.
After also working with theย Australiaย national team and most recently Leicester Tigers, McKellar is looking forward to joining the Waratahs.
โIโm extremely pleased to be joining the NSW Waratahs,โ McKellar explained.
โRugby in NSW has a proud history of over 150 years and the Waratahs are the pinnacle of representation within the state.
โThe club fell short of expectations in 2024 but there are building blocks in place to improve on.
โIโm motivated and passionate to deliver a vastly improved performance next season, comprising of consistent efforts that will make the loyal Waratahs fanbase proud.โ