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After a disastrous season in which they failed to record a win, new Waratahs coach Darren Coleman is excited about turning the Super Rugby club around.
Taking 25 years to achieve his dream job, incoming Waratahs coach Darren Coleman wants his Super Rugby team to show the same passion and resilience.
Coleman will take the reins on a three-year deal at the struggling franchise next month, having first worked at the organisation as a development officer back in 1995.
"I think it's a good signal for my team and how my team will hopefully play, they will stick at it, and they will be persistent and resilient," Coleman said from LA, where he has been coaching the Gilitinis in Major League Rugby.
"If you're going to be playing for the Waratahs under me next year you've got to have a no-quit attitude.
"I'm really excited and have visions of being in that brand new stadium and the place is full and people are passionate and proud about our team."
The 48-year-old coach has led Penrith, Northern Suburbs and Eastern Suburbs before delivering Shute Shield premierships to Warringah in 2017 and Gordon in 2020.
He turned Gordon's fortunes around in just two years after the Highlanders had finished last in 2018.
Coleman is reluctant though to put a timeline on reviving the Waratahs, who suffered an unprecedented 13 consecutive losses in a winless 2021 campaign with coach Rob Penney sacked in March.
Coleman was overlooked in favour of Penney, who was appointed before the 2020 season but said he'd grown as a coach since then.
As well as his MRL role, he also spent time in assistant roles at the Waratahs and Brumbies as well as head coaching positions in Italy, Japan and at the NSW Country Eagles.
He said his relationship with various Shute Shield teams may help keep budding Waratahs players in the fold, with a number of stars previously slipping under their radar and landing at other Super clubs.
"I will dig into the list ... and figure out what we need to do in terms of recruitment but a good proportion of the squad is locked in," Coleman said.
"A good majority of that squad are young players who are going to be better for the experiences and the hardships they went through this year.
"A big segment of my role will be around nurturing and rebuilding their confidence and getting them back on track and obviously with my in-depth knowledge of Sydney and Australian rugby, there's potentially some rough diamonds out there who haven't been uncovered."
NSW Rugby were criticised for spending way below their salary cap in 2021, yet delivering a $3 million profit.
Coleman is confident the organisation will provide what he needs to build success.
"The organisation is very confident they will be able to spend the money they need to - I don't see any issue," he said.
