Outgoing Waratahs coach Darren Coleman said he was “sorry and embarrassed” that he couldn’t get NSW firing but was proud to have stuck it out under intense scrutiny during his final year in charge.
Coleman and NSW Rugby boss Paul Doorn faced the media together at the Waratahs’ Daceyville HQ on Tuesday afternoon, less than 24 hours after the coach was told his services would not be required beyond this season.
As the defeats piled up and the Waratahs slumped to the bottom of the Super Rugby Pacific ladder, Coleman knew his chances of a contract extension had all but evaporated.
Two weeks after Doorn declared that a decision on Coleman’s future would not be finalised until after the season, the Waratahs board chose to move in an attempt to give clarity to all parties.
“I’m sorry and embarrassed I couldn’t progress the good work and the on-field results of my first year,” Coleman, who took the Waratahs to sixth-place finishes in 2022 and 2023, told reporters.
“I feel especially bad I couldn’t deliver for all the passionate and loyal Tahs fans and supporters. The ones that jump on and off from time to time and prefer to be negative, I’m not so sad to see the back end of them.
NSW Rugby boss Paul Doorn and outgoing Waratahs coach Darren Coleman.Credit: Hugo Carr/NSW Waratahs
“I’m frustrated. I feel this year could have turned out a lot different with a bit of luck at crucial times. [We had] a run of front-row injuries and that run of four [close] games early in the season.”
Coleman thanked the Waratahs board for giving him the opportunity to succeed but said he knew deep down that a run of 10 losses from 12 matches this season was never going to justify an extension. He is desperate to go out with victories over Moana Pasifika and the Queensland Reds in the last two regular season matches.
A passionate New South Welshman who rode the emotional rollercoaster of every tight defeat this season, Coleman said sustained criticism of the team was tough to take.
“I’ve got to admit, the outside noise was harder than I expected. I’m probably not thick-skinned enough,” Coleman said.
“With mounting pressure, I didn’t quit. I’m definitely more resilient and more thick-skinned off the back of it. I’m genuinely proud that I stuck it out and went to the end.
“For me, this is more than a job. It becomes all encompassing … sometimes unfortunately to the detriment of other things in your life.”
Rugby Australia and the Waratahs have started the process to find Coleman’s replacement with Michael Cheika, Nathan Grey, Stephen Hoiles and John Manenti emerging as potential front-runners.
Doorn was reluctant to discuss potential candidates, out of respect to Coleman, but stressed that while there was no deadline on finding a new coach, he wants a solution “sooner rather than later”.
Waratahs coach Darren Coleman and NSW skipper Jake Gordon. Credit: Getty
“I’m not going to put names on it today,” Doorn said. “I don’t want to necessarily suggest that there’s one ahead of the other. We’d be welcome to all incomers. I’ve not been out there at all undermining [Coleman].”
At one stage during the media conference, emotion almost got the better of Coleman. It came when the coach recalled a conversation with his son on Monday evening, just hours after learning he’d be moving on next season.
“We’re not proud of where we’re sitting on the ladder,” Coleman said. “I talked to my boy last night … and [said] it just hurts rugby in general when the Waratahs aren’t doing well and I was in charge of that. So yeah, I am embarrassed about that, definitely.”
When he took the job, Coleman said, he had dreamed of packed pubs in Paddington and rugby fans streaming into Allianz Stadium to watch a winning Waratahs team playing attractive rugby.
“The dreamer in me would love to come back one day, whenever, 10 years down the track, and have another shot at it as a better coach,” Coleman said.
“Although the end is a bit sour and sad, when I reflect and the emotion goes out of it, I’ll look back and it will have been an amazing three years of my life.
“I got a lot of pats on the back in year one when I did well and conversely, you’ve got to cop a lot of negative chat and blame when you don’t do well. You can’t have it both ways.
“I feel the board and the organisation have taken everything on board and they’ve made the best decision. There’s definitely no bad blood from my end. I’m not throwing any rocks on the way out. I’m really appreciative that I got the opportunity and sorry I couldn’t do better.”
Watch all the action from the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific season, with every match ad-free, live and on demand on Stan Sport.
