Former Canterbury co-coach Mark Brown has inked a two-year deal with the province.
He is no relation to brothers Tony and Cory Brown, who each had a three-year stint as Otago head coach, but he is a familiar face on the Taieri.
The 53-year-old was born and raised in Dunedin, attended The Taieri High School and played club rugby for both Taieri and Otago University.
He always maintained a strong ambition to coach the Otago NPC team, but his work took him to Christchurch, where he co-owns a civil engineering business.
"It's something I've long aspired to do, to be honest," Brown said.
"So for it to finally eventuate is really exciting."
Brown was a very useful loosie in his day. He played for Otago B but was overlooked for further honours.
His playing career was during the 1990s when Otago were flush with quality players — think Jamie Joseph, Taine Randell, Kelvin Middleton and Arran Pene.
Brown moved north and ended up playing in North Harbour but was on the fringe of that side as well.
He headed overseas and played in Scotland and Ireland for five years before returning to New Zealand and making the transition into coaching.
He co-coached the Canterbury NPC team with Reuben Thorne in 2020-21.
That was during the height of the Covid pandemic.
Before stepping up to the top job, he had been an assistant coach in 2017-2019.
He has also done work for the Crusaders Knights in 2015-2020, and he was the Canterbury under-19 coach in 2014-2016.
In the past three years, he has mostly focused on his business.
Brown, who replaces Tom Donnelly, will initially work remotely.
"I'll be sideline and attending trainings throughout the club season, but sort of splitting my time. During the first part of each week, I'll be still running the business and then heading down south for the weekends.
"And then I'll fully relocate and be a permanent fixture, you know, for the full length of a preseason campaign and the season itself.
"It's important to make really strong connections at the community level. So I'll be fully committed to doing that and be highly visible throughout the club season."
Brown is married to Sharlene and the couple have an 18-year-old daughter, Maddi, who will be attending the University of Otago next year.
He kept a close eye on his old team this year and thought Otago showed a lot of promise during the NPC campaign despite missing a spot in the playoffs.
"That's probably the next most exciting thing other than the role itself. I think Tom and his team did a great job. They had a young side, but a lot of potential there.
"And with what Tom's done with them, I think they'll be able to reach their peak next year. So I think it is a very exciting time for Otago."
He might be missing a few keys players, though. Lock Fabian Holland seems destined for higher honours and he has been joined in the All Blacks training squad by Oliver Haig, George Bower and Christian Lio-Willie.
"I know as coaches, you take a great deal of pride and satisfaction from seeing that happen.
"Tom and his team will rightly feel that, and I'll be no different.
"I see that as part of my role, as well as getting results for the region."
Brown said he had not had a chance to have a discussion around who he wants as his assistant coaches.
"There's obviously a couple of natural vacancies with people moving on, but continuity is really important.
"So, yeah, there'll be no change for change's sake, put it that way.
"But I'll have to have those conversations with Richard [Kinley, Otago Rugby Football Union chief executive] and his staff and the existing team.
"But from the outside looking in, they've done a great job. So, yeah, hopefully they're available to continue."
