Head coach Michael Bradley to leave Edinburgh in May

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Interview - Edinburgh Rugby head coach Michael Bradley

Michael Bradley will leave his post as head coach of Edinburgh at the end of the season after the club decided not to extend his contract.

The Irishman led Edinburgh to the semi-final of last season's Heineken Cup but this term his team have won only four out of 14 RaboDirect Pro 12 games and lost all six of their European ties.

"I am very disappointed by the run of results this season," said Bradley, 50.

Edinburgh's defence coach Billy McGinty has resigned from his post.

His duties will be shared by Bradley, who will continue to coach until May, and forwards coach Neil Back, who joined the club in July last year.

When Andy Robinson vacated the post in 2009 to become Scotland head coach, he was replaced by Rob Moffat.

Nick Scrivener was appointed as interim head coach when Moffat was sacked in January 2011 and when Scrivener returned to his native Australia, Bradley was handed the reins in May of that year.

"It's been an honour to be Edinburgh Rugby head coach and I'd like to thank my fellow coaches, management team, players, staff, fans and sponsors for their support these past two years," said Bradley.

"Building a strong club with a clear identity, which has shared ownership from the players, management, fans, sponsors and the community at large is the key driver of all successful teams and, for me, it is critical that this work continues and enables both the club and the team to reach its full potential.

"The undoubted highlight of my two years was the joy on the faces of all connected with Edinburgh Rugby when the final whistle went when we overcame Toulouse in last year's quarter-final of the Heineken Cup at Murrayfield.

"I will put everything into the remainder of the season to help the club build for a brighter future."

Scottish Rugby has now started to look for a replacement for Bradley for next season.

Its chief executive Mark Dodson issued a statement on the departures.

He said: "Michael and Billy have played a pivotal role in a number of memorable games at Murrayfield.

"In particular, last year's journey to the Heineken Cup semi-final in Dublin was a highlight.

"This season's results, however, have been below the standards expected by the club and its fans and we believe the time is right to begin the search for a fresh coaching team."

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44 comments

  • I agree with Stoveboy. A coach out of his depth was only part of the problem, playing in front of tiny crowds in a gigantic, empty stadium can't have helped motivate the players much. Get Edinburgh out of Murrayfield to Goldenacre or somewhere similar.

  • Thank the lord for that we've gone backward this year, The bewildering tactics at points including saying that we needed to kick as we were incapable of playing expansive rugby!? Some of the body language from the players as well seemed to suggest they weren't happy either. Who can we promote to take the team forward from here though.

  • At last. This year Edinburgh have been truly shocking and Bradley's ongoing excuse of teams have worked us out from last year is ridiculous. Bradley, I think you will find that was your job to stop that. Actually Edinburgh where poor last year and the run to the SF HC covered a very poor domestic session. Bring back Andy R. Edinburgh played there best rugby under him.

  • About time. He has been a complete disaster at Edinburgh (arguably apart from last years HC. Why wait till May though? Team morale must be at an all time low, even by Edinburghs bleak standards. They have some good players even with the Scotland guys missing-should really be comfortably in the top half of the Rabo

  • @TARW Its not just the results the performances have in general been dire even from those that we know can (and do for Scotland) play much better. Quite a few times the team just seemed to lack any purpose or direction. He's also grabbed at straws with quite a few of the signing made in the summer.

  • An 'out of the box' thought, but what about Livingston FC ground - right capacity (10,000), plenty of parking, shopping centre for the wife. It worked well for Wasps leaving London for High Wycombe.

    Failing that an improved Meggetland or Myreside?
    Rotating lower profile games like Connacht to Gala or Perth to tap into Borders or North/Midlands support?

  • Paws off, Saltireblue, I'd quite like Mr Baxter to stay in Devon! Not a drop of Scots blood in him either, he's all south-west. But I think you're right in your assessment that our Scottish players need a coach that will get the collective best out of them

  • we will take him in cardiff

  • My first season as a season ticket holder for Edinburgh. Watching our home players progress into a Scotland shirt during the autumn tests and 6 nations and see what a difference a change of management can do. eg "Italy Game" For the good of Edinburgh I think that Mr Bradley should leave now and let us salvage something this season.The players obviously are not responding to his management style.

  • Quite right about the stadium, save it for special occasions.

    Let's hope the Raeburn Place project gets off the ground - where better to play than city centre at the cradle of Scottish/British rugby:
    http://www.edinburghaccies.com/raeburn-place/

  • The coach I would like to entice to join Edinburgh is Rob Baxter who is currently coaching Exeter Chiefs. He's doing an outstanding job for Exeter. Unfortunately it would take more than a stick of dynamite to dislodge him from the Chiefs.

  • Ah well, the writing was on the wall, but good luck to Bradley, we'll always have Toulouse. Fantastic game, fantastic atmosphere.

  • Midas child I agree with the HC comment, however he is not a bad coach and did well with connaught who whether we like it or not are on our level. I don't have an answer but wish the gunners would move out of Murrayfield it simply doesn't work.I was and will remain an Edinburgh Wanders fan so have just transferred in the pro times, But the stadium is I believe a factor, we have Neil Back stay calm

  • Would not consider Chalmers,who has already got another job lined up in Oxford,starting in March, the man for the job is George Graham,and that's from a Hawick man which is high praise for a Gala coach, has been involved in the Scottish set up before and has the right attitude for the job, and gains a lot of respect from players he works with,If Gala would let him, or just get Andy Robinson back.

  • I hear Craig Chalmers is looking for a job. Go on SRU make his day. Or Sean Lineen, that would spice up the derby matches. Seriously though, Bradley had a great first season, but having watched the highlights of Edinburgh's game at the weekend, they were awful. How many penalties can one team give away? He probably just wants out of it now.

  • Contract extension for Dean Ryan perhaps? ;-) He may be feeling good enough after last Sat just to forgo his return to that cosy Sky studio.

  • @41 Answer to that is send Bradley on gardening leave and get Lineen plus the Scotland defence coach till the end of the season.
    @40 The highs of the HC last year only camoflaged the very similar league form of last season. That in itself is a pity otherwise they might have picked up a certain Dean Richards who would have been available last summer.

  • Eddie O'Sullivan is available at the moment. A very good coach with triple crowns to his name and nutured a grand slam winning team. Edinburgh couldn't go far wrong with him from coaches that are available at the moment!

  • @39 To be fair to Towsend he inherited a very good squad from Lineen and he's done very well (in the league) with them.

    I am worried about the imbalance between the teams though. Plus add to that if Bradley is hanging on until May, if we don't have anyone confirmed soon who will be deciding the direction or player recruitment for next season? Think there are a few coming out of contract as well

  • Does seem strange that a team can go from the highs of last season to the embarassment of this. Sad reality is that sport at this level is results dependent. Edinburgh's have been a joke so he has to go. Just to rub salt is the results Galsgow have been getting. If this were the SPL or EP he would have gone a few months ago.

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