HULL FC will have a new director of rugby on Tuesday, owner Adam Pearson has confirmed.
That new director of rugby will then be in charge of appointing the new head coach, with Pearson revealing that he will no longer be making such decisions at the MKM Stadium following the exit of Tony Smith.
“We will have a director of rugby starting next week. I will rubber stamp the new coach but it will be his job to sign off on it. He will take on the mantle, he is sifting through the process now,” Pearson told BBC Radio Humberside.
“We are hopeful of having that in place by the middle of next week. He is working behind the scenes to find a coach and a number of players to bring in.”
In terms of that new coach, Pearson has revealed that there is a three-man shortlist, though current interim Simon Grix could be in the frame if he wins his next three games in charge.
“We want someone who can get more out of this team than what they are getting so far. We want someone who understands Super League.
“We have a shortlist of three we are working through and we will have some positive news very quickly. As soon as the new director of rugby can free himself up from his contract at present, he will update everyone on the process.
“It’s not going to be a long process, if the new coach is from Australia then the transference would take longer. But, if it’s from the UK then I expect the appointment to be pretty prompt.
“If Simon Grix wins the next three games then he will be in the frame too. We will announce the new director of rugby’s name on Tuesday.
“The director of rugby will have the responsibility for all performance matters and he will overlook the academy as well. The format of him coming in and looking at medical, conditioning, player recruitment and control of the cap will all be his responsibility and I will work with him on that.”
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