Waratahs appoint Dan McKellar as new head coach

Waratahs have confirmed the appointment of former Wallabies assistant Dan McKellar as the new head coach ahead of the 2025 season.

He will now replace Darren Coleman after the latter was sacked following a dismal 2023 season that saw Waratahs lose 10 out of the 12 matches.

Meanwhile, McKellar himself had a tough last season with Leicester Tigers as they finished eighth in the table with nine wins from 18 matches. He was replaced by Michael Cheika as the head coach for the upcoming season.

McKellar already has rich experience in Super Rugby having guided Brumbies to a AU title win in 2020 and has worked with Souths, Tuggeranong Vikings, Docomo Red Hurricanes, Canberra Vikings and Australia in the past.

"We're delighted to have a head coach of Dan McKellar's calibre joining the Waratahs," chief executive Paul Doorn said.

"Dan has an impressive coaching resume and achieved great success with the ACT Brumbies in Super Rugby during his five-year tenure.

"Dan will work closely with high-performance director Simon Raiwalui, and their partnership marks an exciting new frontier for the Waratahs.

"I am confident that the appointments of Dan and Simon will put the Waratahs on the path to delivering sustained success from 2025 and beyond."

McKellar is pleased to be joining Waratahs for the next three seasons.

"I'm extremely pleased to be joining the NSW Waratahs," McKellar said via a media release. "Rugby in NSW has a proud history of over 150 years and the Waratahs are the pinnacle of representation within the state.

"The club fell short of expectations in 2024 but there are building blocks in place to improve on.

"I'm motivated and passionate to deliver a vastly improved performance next season, comprising of consistent efforts that will make the loyal Waratahs fanbase proud."