KEY POINTS:
Andre Bell's short tenure as Bay of Plenty rugby coach appears over after an alarming breakdown in contract negotiations.
Bell, who led the Steamers into the Air New Zealand Cup quarterfinals last year, has lost the confidence of the Bay of Plenty Rugby Union board, who are poised to appoint a new coach.
In a dramatic off- season twist, Bell and the union haven't been able to agree terms on a two- year extension to his six- month contract which expired late last year.
Black Ferns and former Blues coach Jed Rowlands, former Manawatu coach Ian Snook and Wanganui supremo Milton Haig have all confirmed their interested in the job, with interviews being conducted this week.
Current Blues assistant Joe Schmidt turned down a recent Bay approach.
"I'm pretty disappointed they're looking at other options," Bell said. "I still want to be involved with New Zealand rugby and I'm still young enough to have a year off but the frustrating thing is that I know I can coach and that I may have to put it on hold."
The 36-year-old, who took over from Vern Cotter in April last year, came through his season review well and union chief executive Paul Abbot admitted he was the first choice to carry on.
But negotiations deteriorated when Bell used player agent Warren Allcock to represent him and took a three-week coaching development trip to Italy - with the union's blessing - before he'd signed a new deal.
There was also speculation linking him with the Wellington assistant coaching job, and the union gave Bell an ultimatum to come to terms when he returned from Italy, where he was helping Blair Larsen at the Catania club in Sicily.
"It was partly driven by the fact there was a gap between what we saw as his value and what he saw it but it rapidly became more about a communication issue and a trust issue and a confidence issue," Abbot said.
He refused to rule Bell out of the coaching frame but admitted he'd dropped several spots down the preferred list.
"I'm confident we've got a quality list to look at, and we'll discuss Andre once we've finished talking to these other guys.
"We've already had a couple of catch-ups since this all fell over where he's said he's still keen to be part of it. But there's those other emotional issues to get rid of before we worry about a practical one."
Bell was initially signed on a short-term deal by a board uncertain how he would perform.
When it came time to negotiate, Bell says he brought in Allcock thinking it was the professional thing to do.
"I don't know how much I'm worth - all I wanted to do was coach, so I asked someone to represent me, like players do."
Sources within the board say they were alarmed with Bell's decision to use Allcock, arguing it gave the impression he'd abdicate responsibility when things got tough during the season.
Abbot also said Allcock's figures were 30 per cent higher than market value - sources indicate Bay's offer was around $75-80,000 a season.
One leading New Zealand coach said agents were uncommon in the coaching ranks, with most preferring to handle their own negotiations, although it was a natural progression.
"Most coaches are a little bit older and more experienced than the players but the thing for coaches is there's no stability," the coach, who did not want to be named, said. "Players usually have two years' stability at the top level but there's nothing like that for the coaches and an agent could help with that."
It's also understood some senior Steamers players were furious the situation has the potential to undermine their season, although Abbot was confident that wouldn't happen.
"Our planning for this season carries on regardless. There's a lot of work we can do in terms of planning and logistics without the direct involvement of the coach," Abbot said.
"While we've had a vacuum with no-one sitting in that role, we're still progressing with all the necessary work that needs to be done with all the elite guys and training programmes and planning pre-season games."
Bell doesn't have any immediate plans for new employment - just a deep frustration that he can't do the job he most wants.
"I feel sorry for the players at the moment. They don't know what's going on and they want the security of knowing who is going to be involved."
Trio of contenders
Three serious contenders have confirmed their interest in coaching the Steamers this year and could be interviewed as soon as tomorrow.
But a fourth alternative - former assistant coach Joe Schmidt, who is now with the Blues Super 14 franchise - has ruled out an immediate return to the province.
Ironically, a former predecessor of Schmidt's at the Blues is the most high-profile applicant - New Plymouth's Jed Rowlands coached the Black Ferns to their World Cup win last year.
Nomadic former Manawatu coach Ian Snook, who also played cricket for Central Districts and first-five for Taranaki, and Wanganui head Milton Haig are also in line.
Rowlands coached Taranaki in 1997 and 1998, before a disastrous stint with the Blues where he was unseated by player disharmony, and confirmed he was approached by the Steamers last week after missing out on the Hawke's Bay job.
"I'd be certainly interested in it and would consider it if the position was available," the 49-year-old said.
"Particularly after the thrill of winning the World Cup and being in that competitive environment again, it got the excitement going. I've always thought I'd like to get back into provincial rugby."
Of the three, only former Steamers halfback Milton Haig has any connection with the province, playing more than 50 games and operating as assistant coach to Vern Cotter with the development team.
He was assistant coach of the New Zealand under-21 side last season and would love to come back here after two seasons in Wanganui.
"If the job was offered to me I'd be a definite," Haig said. "Like anybody, a professional coach is what I want to be, next logical step from what I have been doing is to coach in the Air New Zealand Cup.
"If you have any aspirations of futhering yourself as a coach then that's where you want to be."
Snook applied for the job last year when Andre Bell was appointed. He has spent the best part of 20 years coaching overseas, although he had a stint with Manawatu in the early 1990s.
Last year's assistant Kevin Schuler, who also coaches fulltime in Japan, is likely to remain offsider to keep some semblance of continuity.
Schmidt was understood to be the first choice for the Bay union after negotiations with Andre Bell broke down, but he's seeing out his Auckland contract, conscious of the support he received during a rough period with the Blues last year.
"Loyalty's a dwindling thing in this day and age anyway and if you've signed up for something, you've either got to do it, or make sure whoever is employing you is happy to let you go," Schmidt said. "If you've signed something, you should honour it."
- BAY OF PLENTY TIMES
