Tuesday December 1st 2009

Article by Glenn McLean. Source: Taranaki Daily News www.taranakidailynews.co.nz

Colin Cooper is coming home.

In a bombshell announcement made exclusively to the Taranaki Daily News yesterday, Taranaki rugby boss Mark Robinson revealed Cooper has signed a two-year contract as head coach.

The news came just three days after applications had closed for the job left vacant by the sudden resignation of Adrian Kennedy last month and without the Taranaki Rugby Football Union board interviewing any of the 23 other applicants it received from around the world.

Rumours began to surface last week that Cooper, who owns property in Taranaki, was interested in the coaching job. He will take over from Kennedy, the first outsider to coach the province, after Taranaki finished a disappointing eighth in the Air New Zealand Cup in both his seasons in charge.

An excited Cooper revealed from Wellington that his motivation to return to the Taranaki job was to be closer to his extended family.

"That was my major driving force really," he said. "I was just pleased that Taranaki gave me the opportunity to do that."

After intimating last month that 2010 would be his last in charge of the Hurricanes, Cooper disclosed yesterday that he had rejected lucrative job offers from clubs in the United Kingdom to return to Taranaki with his wife, Lyn, to be closer to their three children and four grandchildren.

"There were options to do that," he said. "But what price to you put on being away from your family? We've been away for nine years and there are just things you miss and I don't think you can put a price on that."

It was one of Cooper's children who "shot him between the eyes" last week when she questioned why he would go overseas.

A decision on the coaching appointment was not scheduled to be made for at least another fortnight, with a shortlist expected to be drawn up by board members before interviews took place next week.

That all changed late last week, however, when Cooper was in Taranaki on leave from his Hurricanes job and contacted Robinson to say he was interested in the position.

A meeting between the two then took place before Cooper put his application forward just before the deadline last Friday.

The board then gathered at a special meeting at the weekend and decided unanimously that the job should be offered immediately to Cooper.

"This was a great opportunity for Taranaki rugby and we felt it was important to get on with it," TRFU chairman Peter Crawford said yesterday.

"It is a coup for Taranaki, no doubt about that. To get a coach of his quality, who wants to return to his home and be prepared to commit to us for a couple of years is a magnificent opportunity for the province."

Cooper insisted moving back to coach Taranaki was not a backward step after what will be eight years in charge of the Hurricanes when he steps down next year.

While it is expected he will take a significant pay cut to fill the Taranaki role, Robinson said Cooper had expressed to him, during their conversations last week, that money was not a motivating factor.