Colin Cooper thought his career was taking him overseas. Instead, it took him to Hamilton.
The 59-year-old has revealed he was likely headed offshore before the head coaching job at the Chiefs was offered to him.
Looking to move on from his role with Taranaki in the Mitre 10Cup, Cooper said his promotion to the Chiefs "must have been a calling".
"I didn't even know I was going to end up here. I was going overseas, and it must have been a bit of a calling because I'm loving the environment and what we do," Cooper said.
"We have embraced what Dave Rennie left here and we're trying to grow it even more."
Cooper moved on from the amber and blacks after a successful second stint which saw him lead the side to an NPC title in 2014, four semifinals (2012 and 2015-17) and two Ranfurly Shield reigns, with the side still holding the Log o' Wood.
Taking the position vacated by Rennie, who moved to Glasgow in the Pro14 league, Cooper came in to a side that had just seen the departure of some key players, including halfback Tawera Kerr-Barlow, first five-eighth Aaron Cruden and winger James Lowe.
Colin Cooper led Taranaki to a second Ranfurly Shied reign in 2017. Photo / Getty Images.
And despite his team being stricken with injuries during his first season at the helm, the former New Zealand Maori coach has led the side to four wins in their opening five matches. While their 61-10 rout of the Sunwolves in Tokyo saw them score plenty of points, their more recent victory over the Highlanders was their best yet.
"It was a typical derby that everyone is used to," Cooper said. "It could have gone either way because we didn't exit very well and kept them in the game.
"When we got into their 22, we ended up scoring points but, particularly in that second half, it was frustrating for all of us.
"But we won, and I couldn't be happier ... it's all huge for our confidence," he said.
