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Mike Ford in pole position to replace Jim Mallinder at Northampton Saints
Mike Ford, the former England and British and Irish Lions coach, has emerged as the frontrunner to be handed a short-term deal to help salvage Northampton Saints’ season after Jim Mallinder’s run as the longest-standing director of rugby in the Premiership came to an abrupt end on Tuesday.
Mallinder, who had guided Northampton to the Premiership title in 2014, paid the price for a run of eight defeats in major competitions this season, with the humiliating Champions Cup loss to the Ospreys at Franklin’s Gardens on Saturday prompting the club’s board to terminate his 10-year association with the club with immediate effect.
Alan Dickens, Northampton’s attack coach, has been appointed as interim head coach but the club are also hoping to bring in an experienced coach for the remainder of the season – at least until a permanent successor can be appointed – with Ford in pole position.
“We will look to bolster our existing coaching group with some additional leadership and experience on a short-term basis for this season,” said Mark Darbon, Northampton’s new chief executive.
Ford already has a track record of making an impact in a short space of time, having helped steer Newcastle away from the threat of relegation in 2012 after losing his job as England assistant coach in the wake of the 2011 World Cup.
He also guided Bath to the Premiership final in 2015 and was brought into Toulon on a short-term deal last season, only to part company after the Top 14 side’s Champions Cup quarter-final exit to Clermont Auvergne.
The 52 year-old has signed to take charge of USA club Dallas Griffins, one of nine teams forming Major League Rugby, a US competition which aims to begin play in 2018. It is understood however that the Griffins are now not due to take part until 2019.
However sources suggested on Tuesday that he would be in a position to take up a short-term role with Northampton and was interested in the role. Ford already knows Northampton’s England contingent and his appointment would certainly add extra spice to the east midlands derby given that his two sons, England fly-half George, and Joe, are both part of the Leicester Tigers squad.
Northampton are expected to clarifty their position on Wednesday as they begin a search for a “world class” successor to Mallinder, who also guided the club to 2011 Heineken Cup final against Leinster while his 10-year tenure also included successes in the European Challenge Cup and the Anglo-Welsh Cup.
As well as results – Northampton are currently in 10th place in the Premiership and their Champions Cup campaign is over before Christmas - internal sources suggest that the board’s decision was also influenced by a sense that players had lost faith in the coaching set-up while the sections of the club’s supporters also appeared to vote with their feet by flooding out of the stadium during the defeat by the Ospreys.
Mallinder, who had been handed a five-year deal in the wake of the club’s Premiership title in 2014, had twice been linked with the England job in the wake of the 2011 and 2015 World Cups and his pedigree is such that he is likely to make a swift return to top-flight coaching.
But undoubtedly a malaise had set in at Northampton over the last two seasons as their style of play became predictable. Alex King, the former attack coach left the coaching team in October last year and it is likely that the appointment of a new permanent director of rugby will lead to further changes.
The options are currently limited however. Stuart Lancaster, the former England head coach who has been hailed for his impact at Irish province Leinster, has signed a contract to 2019 as has Andy Farrell, who is currently defence coach at Ireland.
Wayne Smith, the former All Blacks coach who was previously in charge at Northampton between 2001-2004, is also thought to be a non-runner as he does not want to leave New Zealand or consider a full-time position.
Richard Cockerill, the former Leicester director of rugby who lost his position in January, is also contracted with Edinburgh for the next two years. Any move for a contracted coach would result in a hefty pay-out on top of the compensation due from Mallinder’s dismissal.
