Head coach Steve Meehan to leave Bath at end of season

[TRF_Cymro]

Head coach Steve Meehan is set to leave Bath at the end of the season after five seasons at the Rec.

The club is set to undergo a change of structure for the 2011/12 campaign with performance director Sir Ian McGeechan taking overall control of team affairs.

Current coaches Martin Haag and Brad Davis will be retained.

Australian Meehan, who initially joined Bath from Stade Francais as a backs coach and took the helm in December 2006, is leaving by mutual consent.

He helped the club claim their first piece of silverware in 10 years when they won the European Challenge Cup in 2008 and has guided them to the Premiership play-offs in the each of the last three seasons.

Bath are currently seventh in the table, eight points off fourth spot and a fourth successive play-off semi-final with six games remaining in the regular season.

Meehan said: "Over the past five years we've developed our style of play, played some terrific rugby, won the respect of all the clubs in the Premiership and challenged some of the biggest teams in Europe.

"It's been a challenging yet enjoyable period, but the timing is right for me to move on at the end of this season and I wish the team every success in years to come.

"However, the key part of this season is now upon us and before I leave I will be doing everything I can to ensure we are in the play offs and going for the ***le."

Meehan began his coaching career in Queensland before joining Stade in the summer of 2002 where he was assistant coach to Nick Mallett and then Fabien Galthie, helping the club reach the Top 14 final three years running and winning in 2003 and 2004.

As well as making Bath one of the most attractive and successful teams in the Premiership, off the pitch he had to oversee the positive drugs test that resulted in prop Matt Stevens being banned for two years in 2009 and the end-of-season drugs scandal four months later that resulted in four players leaving the club.

Bath legend Jeremy Guscott told BBC Radio Bristol: "What Meehan's done at the club has been fantastic. He's had a number of top four finishes which was brilliant compared to where they were before he joined.

"What he's done can't be under-estimated. Yes, there's been a few blips along the way but that always happens.

"Meehan will be remembered for what he's achieved and what he's done with a squad that, if everyone's honest, isn't the best in the Premiership so to finish in the top four and to win a cup is credit to him and the team he put together.

"His CV reads well and he can be proud of what he achieved in the time he did."

Speculation in France suggests he could be returning to the Parisian giants where they are also set to be making changes to their coaching team in the summer.

Bath chief executive Nick Blofeld said: "We wish Steve all the best for his future after Bath Rugby and thank him for his contribution and commitment.

"With significant changes at the club and a new strategy and direction in place we have mutually agreed that it is a good point for Steve to seek a new challenge."

McGeechan moved to the Rec at the start of the season following Bruce Craig's arrival as chairman of the club.

The British and Irish Lions legend and former Scotland, Northampton and Wasps coach was initially installed as performance director but his job ***le was changed to Director of Rugby in December.

Guscott added: "The writing was on the wall as soon as McGeechan's job ***le was changed.

"With him taking over the selection of the team. That took a lot of what Meehan is all about away from and from that moment on he was probably looking for another job."

"With the new owner and chief executive they must feel they need another coach to take them in the direction to not only get into the top four but start winning Premierships and getting into the semi-finals and possibly winning Heineken Cups.

"A lot falls on McGeechan's shoulders. What with everything going on at Bath, there's huge resources behind them, all the facilities are amazing and in a couple of years time I'd imagine they'd be the best in the country and compete with the rest of the world.

"Now the side has got to start performing and if they don't they'll be in for criticism and there will be pressure on McGeechan."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/my_club/bath/9439627.stm​

 

[Getofmeland]

An interesting one really, don't know whether this is going to be good for Bath or not, I guess we have managed to get so far, but not far enough in the Premiership, It will be interesting to see whether its been done because of the Name, rather than the skill set...