Exeter Chiefs: Six possible options to fill head coach void after dramatic axing

Exeter Chiefs have endured a rather dramatic week, it’s fair to say.

Pumped 79-17 by West Country rivals Gloucester last Sunday, a defeat which plunged the club into turmoil.

Following the Kingsholm disaster, head coach Rob Hunter and backs coach Ali Hepher, who had served as head coach until March, only to be replaced by Hunter, were suspended pending a full review of both the game and the 2024/25 season as a whole. Rob Baxter was also handed front-line coaching duties until the end of the campaign.

That wasn’t the end of it either. On Wednesday, long-standing club chairman and CEO, Tony Rowe, issued a damning statement detailing the ‘clear disconnect’ between the coaching staff and playing group. On Friday, Hunter left his post by mutual consent.

That departure now leaves Exeter with a head coach void ahead of the 2025/26 season, which needs filling ASAP. But, who will they turn to?

Well, here are some of the names who could be in the mix for the head coach role at Sandy Park.

Front-runners: Stuart Lancaster, Graham Rowntree

Former Racing 92 boss Stuart Lancaster and former Munster head coach Graham Rowntree will likely be at the very top of Rowe’s shopping list in their quest for a new top dog.

Both men boast exceptional coaching pedigrees, with Lancaster understood to have been the mastermind behind the Leinster juggernaut during his stint there, and Rowntree recently took Munster to the URC title against the odds, and both have coached at Test level too.

Crucially, both men would know what it takes to turn a team around quickly, which is the sort of thing Exeter need right now. Despite the sour ending to his England spell, Lancaster had turned the national side around from the carnage of the 2011 World Cup and into consistent Six Nations title chasers. He also helped blood in the likes of Owen Farrell, Jamie George, Henry Slade and Luke Cowan-Dickie amongst others, which again could do wonders for the young Chiefs group at the moment.

Similarly, Rowntree took over as Munster boss following a disappointing 2021/22 season, where they finished sixth overall but were below both Leinster and Ulster out of the Irish sides, and at the first attempt, took them to the title. In his second season in charge, they also finished top of the table at the end of the regular season before losing to eventual champions Glasgow Warriors. But that rapid transformation under him will have captured Rowe’s attention.

Suspended Exeter Chiefs boss departs club after ‘clear disconnect’

But, the former Leicester Tigers icon is also understood to be in contention for the vacant head coach posting at Mattioli Woods Welford Road too, with Michael Cheika leaving at the end of the season.

In the mix: Nick Easter

Potentially a left-field call here, but Nick Easter is certainly in the discussion for Exeter head coach for next season. The former Harlequins icon enjoyed a decent spell at Worcester Warriors as an assistant before properly cutting his teeth with Chinnor in National One. He guided the club to safety in his first season in charge, winning eight of his 13 games, and later helped them earn promotion to the Championship, where they remain today.

He has also gained more valuable experience at Test level, as he currently acts as the forwards coach for the USA.

Exeter Chiefs: Rob Baxter entrusted to fix ‘clear disconnect’ as CEO issues damning statement

Easter’s rise through the coaching ranks isn’t too dissimilar to Baxter’s either, and with the experience of the long-standing director of rugby, he will only improve. His appointment would also be a more long-term one, given he is fairly fresh into his coaching career, but that again seems to fit the bill of what Exeter want right now. It could be a master stroke from the Devonians.

Outside bets: Leon MacDonald, Geoff Parling

Elsewhere, Leon MacDonald and former Chiefs player Geoff Parling could also be catching the eye of the Chiefs’ higher-ups. MacDonald was attracting the interest of Leicester Tigers, but reports suggest he has turned them down to take up an offer in Japan; however, if the Chiefs act quickly and present a good offer, they could draw him to the club. The former All Black again would bring a wealth of experience to the role, serving as an assistant under Scott Robertson for the national side and previously worked as an assistant for the Crusaders and later as Blues head coach, and that would do wonders for the Chiefs. Again, it’s a bit of a stretch considering he is set to take a role in Japan, but Exeter could be looking at him.

Parling would again be a stretch, considering he is Joe Schmidt’s right-hand man at the Wallabies, but with the former Ireland boss heading for pastures new, it could see Parling tempted to head home. The former lock already has a high standing among the Chiefs faithful after an excellent playing career in Devon, and he is quickly gaining a reputation as a great coach too, which could be a match made in heaven. A head coach role at Test level is likely in his future too, so this could give him the exposure to life at the top.

Surely not: Michael Cheika

This would be a HUGE kick in the teeth for the Tigers, but he is available for next season after all. He would be a brilliant appointment for the Devonians, and with a heavy Australian core, it could tempt him to stay, but he is only leaving the East Midlands to be with his family, so another Premiership role seems highly unlikely.

Status quo: Rob Baxter

Another option for the Chiefs head coach role could be Baxter to just continue on for the foreseeable future. Baxter has an impressive record at the club, winning three Premiership Rugby Cups, two Premierships, one Championship and one Champions Cup, but he again commands high standards from his group. He had to step in once before in 2022, which saw a dramatic upturn in form and boosted the Chiefs to a Champions Cup semi-final run in the process, and if he again sees a rapid rise in fortunes ,he could just hold onto the duties next season too.

One question that does come up, though, is what happens when he leaves the club? They need to get some form of succession plan in place, and after all the drama of the current season, this feels like the perfect time to get that sorted out.

READ MORE: Opinion: Exeter Chiefs call for the return of Caesar to resurrect ‘besieged empire’