Geoff Parling appointed as new Leicester Tigers head coach on long-term deal

By Charlie Elliott

Geoff Parling has officially put an end to Leicester Tigers‘ search for a new head coach to replace Michael Cheika next season, with the former British and Irish Lion and Tigers player being announced as Cheika’s successor today. 

A lock in his playing days, he already knows the club well, given that he made 93 appearances during a six-year spell in the East Midlands. 

Many will be familiar with Parling as a player, but as a coach, he is much more underrated. 

Here, I go through his appointment and look at where it might lead Tigers. 

Playing Days at Welford Road 

Originally from the north-east, Parling started his career with local side Newcastle Falcons, where he was between 2003 and 2009, before making the journey down to Welford Road to play for Leicester Tigers. 

The lock became a bit of a cult hero at Tigers and was at the club for two of the Premiership wins, lifting the trophy in 2010 and 2013. 

His first title came in his first year at the club, and he was instrumental in it, stealing a Saracens lineout on Tigers’ own try-line in the final minute of the final, which secured a 33-27 victory and the trophy. 

Following the strong first season, he maintained his position as a consistent starter and was part of the 2013 side that beat Northampton Saints in the Premiership final. 

Parling’s performances this year earned him a spot on the 2013 Lions tour to Australia, where he played in all three Tests, one off the bench and two as a starter. 

He left in 2015 to join Exeter Chiefs, winning the 2017 Premiership against Wasps to make the third domestic title of his career. 

How Tigers are looking for next season 

Parling’s appointment brings more stability to the club after a period of struggle, as they looked forward to next season without knowing who would be at the helm. 

He now has a few months to bring players in, with recruitment absolutely crucial following some big names leaving. 

Captain and starting hooker Julian Montoya, starting fly-half Handre Pollard, legendary scrum-half Ben Youngs and fullback Jamie Shillcock are all leaving the club this summer, with Falcons hooker Jamie Blamire the only player brought in to replace any of those players so far. 

Fly-half is seemingly the biggest problem, as there is currently a lack of an established one on the market that could fill the huge boots that Pollard has left to fill. 

While the departures aren’t a good thing, what it does is allow Parling to stamp his own authority on the squad, with plenty of licence to go out and sign his own players, instead of needing to work with an existing group of players that may not suit him. 

Plenty of work needs to be done on the squad, but now that the head coach is confirmed, it looks like signings will be coming up in the future. 

Parling’s Coaching Credentials 

Shortly after retiring in 2018, he became the lineout coach for the team that he finished his career with, Melbourne Rebels. 

After that, Parling got a job as forward coach for Australia under Dave Rennie, which is the role that he stayed in until Tigers came calling. 

Under both Rennie and Joe Schmidt, he has developed as a coach, and the Wallabies have seen improvements under his stewardship. 

He will stay with the Wallabies until after the British and Irish Lions tour, with Ollie Chessum the only one of his future players being selected in the squad at present. 

My Opinion 

I think that it is a very positive appointment, and Tigers could have done a lot worse than Parling, the only concern is obviously his lack of a head coach role previously, but he comes with a good CV, knows the club and is well-liked by fans, so is off to a good start already. 

Following so much uncertainty surrounding the club, knowing who is going to be the main man next season is positive for fans. 

One piece of the jigsaw has been put in place; now, Tigers just need a defence coach and for their big players to be replaced. 

It is good to see a young head coach being given a chance, especially compared to some of the old-fashioned names that were linked with the job. 

The past few years haven’t really been stable for Tigers in terms of having a long-term head coach, and I see no reason as to why Parling cannot bring a bit of stability and be in the role for a few years. 

He needs to be afforded time, though, which is becoming all too scarce in modern rugby. 

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