Aviva Premiership side the Leicester Tigers are keen to extend the coaching contract that the club currently has with head coach Matt O’Connor that would keep him at Welford Road beyond his current deal. According to Simon Cohen, the Chief Executive of the club, the club has already started its contractual negotiations with their head coach that would see him stay beyond his current deal that expires at the end of the upcoming 2012/13 season.
O’Connor joined The Tigers back in 2008 as the backs coach and has since been promoted to the position of head coach but over the last few months, he has been linked with a move away from the record Premiership champions with many clubs back in his native Australia wanting to take him away from England. But as per the comments of Cohen, the club has already appointed their director of rugby Richard Cockerill with the responsibility of persuading him to sign a new deal with the club and it is being believed that Cockerill has already started a conversation with the 41 year old Australian over a contract extension.
The Leicester Tigers have been the most successful side in the Premiership since its inception and with O’Connor on board, their performances have improved on the field dramatically as they have not failed to reach the playoffs any season after he joined the team and there is every hope that he will put pen to paper to a new contract with the club.
Speaking to BBC Radio on the issue, Cohen added that there is no doubt that Matt O’Connor will be staying with the Leicester Tigers for this season and they are hoping that they are able to keep him for longer than that and with Cockerill signing a new contract, it may just be a matter of time before he does too.