McGeechan calls time on Lions job
Sat, 03 Oct 2009 20:36
Positive thinking: Lions legend Ian McGeechan
Renowned British and Irish Lions coach Ian McGeechan will not be at the helm when the Lions tour to Australia in four years' time. McGeechan has confirmed that he has decided to end his lengthy stint as Lions head coach.
McGeechan, who recently finished his seventh Lions tour with a 1-2 series loss to South Africa, appeared almost indispensable as head coach - although he is quick to dismiss any such thoughts.
"I cannot have such an involvement again," McGeechan told the Daily Express.
"Generally you coach the Lions only once and that makes it a great opportunity for coaches as well as players. But I've been head coach four times already, plus the other tours.
"If I were to go for an eighth time I think I would be pretty greedy. I'd like to have an involvement using my experience to try to make the preparation as good as it could possibly be so that the head coach, whoever that may be, has something to build on.
"But it won't be me. There is no way that I have become too important at all or that I am the only one who can make it work.
McGeechan believes is the current crop of players and management will continue to play a role for Lions in the years to come.
"In 2009 we had a management group of whom 50 per cent or more could easily be involved in four years’ time. They already know exactly what it takes to make a Lions tour.
"Equally, we have probably 50 per cent of players who would want to be back on the next tour and have the ethos, have been there, felt it and understood it.
"They are the drivers of it now, and there’s your succession planning. There were a lot of things right on our tour, even though we narrowly lost the series, and there were many people who were part of that and can make it work next time."
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