Mike Prendergast will depart Munster at the end of the current campaign after 4 years as a senior coach in the set up. He has looked after the Munster backs and had got them playing an expansive brand of rugby that was rewarded with a trophy at the end of his 1st full season back involved with Munster when Munster won the URC under Graham Rowntree in 2023 defeating the Stormers in the Final.
He continued in the role of senior coach under Ian Costello while Munster went through the process of bringing in a replacement for Rowntree. That coaching team led by Costello led Munster until the start of this season when Clayton Mc Millian took over as Head Coach.
It is another state of flux for a Munster coaching team who have had many different changes in the coaching department be that assistants or head coaches over the past number of years.
Prendergast is a very popular member of the coaching team and will be missed. It will open the door for another person to come in and put their stamp on the Munster side. Men like Mossy Lawlor will be linked straight away to move into that role and this move of promoting Lawlor would be a move of consistency and would not break up the coaching team.
You can be sure Clayton Mc Millian will have an idea as to who he may want to be brought into his staff, promote from within or bring in someone from outside the set up.
From a Munster perspective it another unwelcome change, yes it is all part of it all coaches move on etc but Munster just haven’t had a full cycle of 3 or 4 years where there hasn’t been some sort of change within the coaches box.
Plenty of names will be linked with the job, Noel Mc Namara, Nigel Carolan spring to mind straight away who are with Bordeaux Begles and Glasgow Warriors respectively at the moment.
Noel Mc Namara has only recently signed a contract extension to stay as part of Yannick Bru’s coaching ticket so that might rule out a move to bring the Clare man back into the Irish system but you never know.
Nigel Carolan is a key member of the Glasgow Warriors management team under Franco Smith but a bit like Noel Mc Namara the lure of a chance to coach back in Ireland with Munster might swing it in the IRFU’s and Munster’s favour when it comes to bargaining tools if they want the opportunity to chat with either man to sound them out in terms of interest.
Whoever the IRFU and Munster decide on it will be a big decision. Yet again Munster are on the look out for a new coach but on this occasion the options seem to be clear. Only time will tell of course…..