Reds poach another from Perth
Former Queensland Reds and Wallabies prop Nick Stiles will take the next step in his coaching journey by joining the Reds as their forwards coach for the 2014 Super Rugby season.
Stiles will leave the Western Force at the end of the current Super Rugby season to re-join a Reds organisation where he accumulated 96 provincial caps during an impressive eight-year playing career.
Stiles, who was also capped 12 times for the Wallabies, is currently Queensland's third most capped prop in history behind only Dan Crowley (124) and Stan Pilecki (122) and ahead of Greg Holmes (95).
Since retirement, Stiles has enjoyed a seamless transition into coaching where he has enjoyed success at a schoolboy, franchise and Super Rugby level.
He initially commenced his coaching career as the Director of Coaching at the University of Queensland (2005-2007); progressed into both a coaching consultant and forwards coach role for Japanese Top League franchise Kubota Spears (2005-2010); and is now the forwards coach at the Western Force.
Reds head coach Richard Graham said Stiles would be a welcome addition to Queensland's setup.
"Nick gave many great years to Queensland as a player and he now has an opportunity to continue his service to the franchise in a coaching capacity," Graham said.
"He is someone who is very highly regarded by his peers and as a former Queensland and Wallaby prop has been able to use his knowledge and experiences as a player into being a successful coach.
"Nick's made a positive impact everywhere he has been and he has a proven track record in getting results.
"When he began at the Western Force he took what was the eleventh ranked set-piece from 2010 to the third ranked set-piece in the competition during his first year.
"I'm confident he has all the attributes needed to have a positive influence at the Reds and we look forward to Nick joining our team for 2014."
Stiles said he was looking forward to the challenge of joining the Reds next season.
"It has been a satisfying experience working with the Western Force and I've thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to have played a part in their growth over the past three seasons," Stiles said.
"However, I feel as though it's an appropriate time to return to Queensland with my family and pursue the next challenge in my coaching journey with my former franchise, the Reds.
"As a former player there has always been an ambition to one day return to Queensland and coach, so I'm looking forward to having that opportunity in 2014."
In addition to his service at the Reds, Stiles enjoyed a decorated playing career at an international level as part of the hugely successful Wallaby team of 2001, which conquered the British and Irish Lions in the same year where Australia won both the Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Cup.
Stiles enjoyed a baptism of fire in the Test arena with his debut game coming in the opening Test match of the Wallabies highly-anticipated 2001 series against the Lions, his first of 12 caps for Australia.
The inclusion of Stiles as forwards coach forms a strong three-man coaching panel in 2014 with Graham as Reds Head Coach and Jim McKay as senior assistant coach, where he will continue in his role focusing on the team's attack.
