Clayton McMillan: Inside the Chiefs’ plan to replace departing coach Clayton McMillan

Former Waikato player and coach Jono Gibbes is tipped to become the next Chiefs coach. Photo / Photosport

Anointing Clayton McMillan’s successor is on hold until the end of this Super Rugby Pacific season, but the Chiefs are confident their next head coach resides in-house, with former All Black Jono Gibbes considered the favourite to assume charge.

McMillan will prove a difficult figure to replace when he departs to join Irish club Munster. Growing into the overarching head coach role from his initial interim status, McMillan revived the Chiefs culture to transform the franchise from the depths of their struggles under Warren Gatland to evolve into an influential kaumātua and leader.

In his five years at the helm, McMillan has led the Chiefs to three finals. Now, amid his swansong season, the Chiefs are title favourites after fashioning an impressive 5-1 record at the halfway stage of this campaign, with their sole loss coming in Fiji to the Drua.

With Munster presenting an enticing opportunity to further enhance his experience, McMillan will depart one year before his contracted term to accelerate the need for Chiefs chief executive Simon Graafhuis to source a suitable successor.

“Like any good coach, he’s had a massive contribution to the organisation so we will not be able to replace him. Clayton is pretty special,” Graafhuis said. “Whoever we bring in next, they won’t be Clayton, but they will have skills that will be beneficial too. We need to figure out exactly what that looks like.

“Clayton is a different coach now than when he started. I’d put him in the top category of coaches I’ve dealt with. We haven’t won a title with him but three of the last four years we’ve made the final so we’ve got quite a bit right.

“It’s probably a year earlier than I had thought of but Clayton has been very upfront the whole way through. It all happened pretty quickly for him. We’d had discussions around his long-term future and he felt he needed to go and do something different at the conclusion of his contract. He goes with our blessing. This is part of his coaching journey. We hope he gets the chance to be All Blacks coach.”

While Graafhuis was reluctant to comment specifically on McMillan’s successor, Gibbes is widely believed to be the frontrunner.

The former Chiefs captain and eight-test All Black returned to his home franchise last year – first as a resource assistant before assuming charge of the lineout and forwards this season, replacing Māori All Blacks head coach Ross Filipo.

Gibbes boasts extensive head coaching experience with Waikato, Irish side Ulster and French clubs La Rochelle and Clermont but he returned home to take charge of the New Zealand Under-20s after his last stint abroad was abruptly cut short.

Canterbury NPC head coach Marty Bourke, who is responsible for phase play and kick strategy at the Chiefs, is another contender.

So, too, is Filipo, the former Crusaders, Chiefs and All Blacks lock who guided Waikato to the NPC title in 2021 and impressed internally during two seasons as Chiefs assistant coach to earn promotion to lead the New Zealand Māori men.

“No decision or process has been run yet,” Graafhuis said. “We’re acutely aware of having a distraction for the current season. We’ve talked around the risk of that. Clayton has done everything he can to make sure everyone stays focused. The boys will want to do their bit to send him out in the right way.

“The best thing anyone can do is produce a good result this year. That’s the priority. Once we get through this season, we’ll run a review and run a process.

“I’m comfortable with our internal candidates so I’m not sure we’ll have to go too wide. There’s people with good experience within the organisation. Some of that will depend on how we go through the back half of the season.

“Jono’s record speaks for itself in many ways. Marty has a pretty good coaching CV now too. [David] Hill does as well and Roger [Randle] has a great tenure here.

“I would imagine Ross would be interested. He’s been in our environment and we hold him in high regard. He’s been very successful with Waikato over the years. One of the bits that is really important is the fit. That’s a big criteria for us.”

The next Chiefs head coach is within reach but whoever gains promotion from within faces a crater-sized hole to fill.

Liam Napier has been a sports journalist since 2010 and his work has taken him to World Cups in rugby, netball and cricket, boxing world title fights and Commonwealth Games.