Brumbies coaching bombshell - Dan McKellar set to call it quits

The man who led the Brumbies to 2020 Super Rugby AU glory will return to his home state of Queensland with his wife Carla, and daughters Amelie and Maya, at the conclusion of his fifth season as head coach of the club.

It will allow McKellar, who has been working as Australia's forwards coach since the end of this year's Super Rugby season, to expand his job description under Wallabies boss Dave Rennie in the build up to the next World Cup.

"The timing was right just for me and my family," McKellar said.

"I've got two young girls and a wife who have been incredibly supportive and it's probably time for them to go home back to Queensland and it's probably time for me to challenge myself at the highest level at the Wallabies.

"I'll be forever grateful to the Brumbies. It's been a huge part of my life now, I've spent the best part of a decade in Canberra.

"It'll be a sad day when I do leave but I'm just excited to get back there once I finish my commitments here and rip in and have a really good season to finish off my time there."

McKellar joined the Brumbies as an assistant in 2014, and replaced Stephen Larkham in the top job at the start of the 2018 season.

He led the club to the 2019 Super Rugby semi-finals, and back-to-back Super Rugby AU deciders during the Covid pandemic, most recently losing a heart-breaking decider to the Queensland Reds in May.

"It's tough because of the love your have for the place and the people that are involved in it, I've got a lot of great memories there up to this point in time and I hope that we create a few more next year," McKellar said.

"I truly love this club and what it stands for and I've always said my goal was to leave the Brumbies in a better place than when I took over as head coach, so I'll do everything in my power to ensure that happens."

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McKellar started working as Wallabies forwards coach back in June, almost a year after Rennie had initially tried luring the Brumbies mentor to the national set up.

Rennie, who is contracted until the conclusion of the 2023 World Cup, has long held McKellar in high regard as a coach.

But McKellar was quick to hose down suggestions he would be groomed as Rennie's successor after 2023.

"I'm not big on those sort of succession plans or those sort of conversations, all those sorts of things can go pear-shaped real quick," McKellar said.

"I'm just focused on coming in here and experiencing international rugby. Getting to coach against the All Blacks, that's a real privilege, and obviously coaching the Wallabies.

"I'm in no rush at all, what will be will be, I'm just really grateful to be here and coach professionally full stop and if at one day in time I get the chance to be head coach of the Wallabies then that would obviously be something that I'd be incredibly proud.

"I just want this team to perform well at Eden Park on the seventh of August."

Brumbies staff have already started planning for the post-McKellar era.

"While it will be tough to see Dan complete his time with us at the end of next season, it is helpful that he has made this decision now to allow us time to plan for the future," Brumbies chief Phil Thomson said.

"Dan has led the club incredibly well in his time as head coach and will leave a lasting legacy at the Brumbies when he departs at the end of next season.

"Winning Super Rugby AU in 2020, given the circumstances of that season will live long in the memory but Dan has also been instrumental in re-establishing our academy, which has seen both local talent and young players from around the country get a chance to play Super Rugby and to represent the club and it's values.

"Dan and the team's focus is solely on the 2022 Super Rugby season, but we will now begin the recruitment process to replace Dan together with ensuring that we maintain a good level of continuity in our staff group for 2023 and beyond."