Otago coach Tom Donnelly will join the team as the forwards coach.
The 41-year-old former All Black lock has signed a two-year deal.
A key part of his role will be to ensure the set piece is operating at optimal level.
He is the latest appointment to what is a new look coaching team.
Former assistant coach Clarke Dermody was named head coach in June on a three-year deal and has been steadily filling the rest of the roster.
Last week, Englishman Richard Whiffin was named attack coach. The defence portfolio went to Dave Dillon. Chris Boyd was called up to act in a mentoring role and skills coach Riki Flutey was retained.
Donnelly is looking forward to the challenge.
"I’ve been coaching for six years and an opportunity to move into Super Rugby is bloody exciting," he said.
He will not need too many introductions. A good portion of his Otago squad are also in the Highlanders, so the transition should be quite seamless.
"It is fantastic to be able to have that alignment through the players and some of the coaching staff as well.
"Anyone who is involved in the game wants to try and coach [at a high level] and I’d love to coach internationally one day. But at the moment I’m just really happy to take the next step into Super Rugby and have a crack at that."
Donnelly is coming off contract with Otago but hopes to remain. His new role with the Highlanders does not exclude him from coaching at NPC level.
"That was a big part of the puzzle for me, to make sure I was still able to do both roles. My contract with Otago finished at the end of the season and we are just going through that process at the moment.
"I’m really keen to stay on."
Donnelly has a mixed record with Otago. The team has won 15 and lost 15 games since he assumed the head coaching role in 2020 — he was assistant for three years before that.
This year there was some hype around the team making the playoffs, but Otago missed the cut, which was disappointing considering the players available. There were 23 players with Super Rugby involvement in the squad.
Injuries were a mitigating factor. Otago was down to one fit midfielder for a period, which was a challenge.
Donnelly, who played 65 games for the Highlanders between 2004 and 2011 and 15 games for the All Blacks in 2009 and 2010, had success with the New Zealand under-20 side earlier in the year. It won all three games in the Oceania Rugby Under-20 Championships.
Donnelly believes the Highlanders have a really exciting squad.
"I’m under no illusion how hard the challenge will be. But I think we’ve got a really good group and Derms has done a great job putting the squad together, and I’m looking forward to ripping in next year."
His first day in the job will be in mid-November, when the coaches convene. The players will assemble later that month for a camp.
Dermody has been impressed by Donnelly’s growing coaching skills over the past several years.
"Tom was always a keen student of the lineout art as a player. Technically and tactically he is excellent in that area," Dermody said.
"His experiences over the last few years with Otago and the NZ U20s has extended that knowledge base and I know Tom will grow our forwards".
