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Bay of Plenty rugby's long search for a head coach has ended with the appointment of former All Blacks flanker Kevin Schuler.
The announcement comes after Blues assistant Josef Schmidt turned down the job and former Wellington assistant Chris Boyd walked away after failing to agree to financial terms with Bay of Plenty last week.
Schuler replaces former head coach Andre Bell, who was let go by Bay of Plenty after just one season in charge when the two parties couldn't negotiate a suitable financial package.
Bay of Plenty Rugby Union chief executive Paul Abbot was pleased to have some stability after the drawn-out appointment process.
"In the end it was long and tortuous but we got the result we wanted," he told The Bay of Plenty Times.
"He (Schuler) wants to bring an element of excitement that has been missing from Bay rugby over the last few years.
"He wants to bring that back into the style of play and that's exciting, as it frees the players up to enjoy the game. From a spectator point of view they will see a brand of rugby that's entertaining and something to be proud of."
Schuler was Bay of Plenty technical assistant three years ago and became assistant coach to Vern Cotter in 2005. He filled the same role in last year's Air New Zealand Cup under Bell.
Schuler played provincial rugby for Manawatu and North Harbour and was capped 13 times for the All Blacks, including four tests.
His recent work has been as coaching consultant with Yamaha in Japan.
- NZPA
