Denis Leamy speaks out on Munster head coach role as Reds announce new deals
Munster great Denis Leamy and Mike Prendergast have agreed contract extensions amidst the turmoil of the province's head coach Graham Rowntree and forwards coach Andi Kyriacou leaving
Denis Leamy has ruled himself out of the running for Munster's hot seat but insists there should be no rush to fill the vacant post.
Defence coach Leamy and attack coach Mike Prendergast have today signed new two-year deals with the Reds following the recent departures of head coach Graham Rowntree and forwards coach Andi Kyriacou.
Prendergast was tipped as a possible successor to Rowntree, who himself came through the ranks from forwards coach to top dog. It would appear, however, that the province is looking elsewhere for a new head coach, with Stuart Lancaster the latest linked with the role.
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Leamy maintains he didn't hesitate over signing a new deal despite the backroom turmoil of the last few weeks. "Oh, not really, no," said the two-time Heineken Cup winner as a player.
"It's a special place to people who grew up here, so to be asked to coach Munster is an absolute honour and to be asked to continue on for another two years is really special. So I didn't have to think long or hard about it."
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Leamy admits that he's not ready for a promotion to the big job. "Not right now," he stated. "I'm concentrating on my brief as a defense coach.
"Certainly, my thinking is around how I can develop and make players the best that they can be around the defensive aspect of the game. The head coach isn't for me right now. Maybe sometime in the distant future - maybe - but right now, no. I'm very happy to be in the assistant space."
The 42-year-old says there is an "ongoing process" to replace Rowntree and it's one he doesn't have much knowledge of. The remaining coaches - led by Ian Costello, and with forwards coach consultant Alex Codling brought in from the Ireland Women's set-up - are focusing on the URC starting up again this weekend.
Munster - with only two wins from six to date - face the Lions on Saturday, while the Champions Cup is just around the corner. Leamy is pleased with how the last few weeks have gone. "We don't feel right now that we need to have someone in the building straight away," he confessed.
"We feel that the last couple of weeks have run very smoothly, and we're very confident over the short term. I'm sure in due course, the board and the powers that be in Munster rugby will come up with the right person that they see fit to do the job.
"Obviously there's a change and you have to have a lot of empathy towards the people who have left Munster over the last couple of weeks. The unfortunate part about it is we were involved in a sport that just doesn't stand still, and there's so much work to be done in terms of getting better and in performances.
"And, obviously, we've got a really important game with the weekend that takes the focus. So in many ways, you just have to keep looking forward and striving towards performances, and developing that."
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