Otago has not yet kicked off its Mitre 10 Cup campaign but has already begun advertising for next year's coach.
The Otago Rugby Football Union is seeking applicants for the position of the coach of the Otago Mitre 10 Cup side for next year.
Current coach Ben Herring is moving on after two years as head coach, taking a break for a year and heading to the United States with his family.
The union is expecting plenty of interest and is hoping for a high quality of candidates.
Along with the coaching of the Otago team, the job may also involve the development and implementation of the Otago Rugby Football Union's overall coaching strategy.
This is the director of rugby role that was held by former coach Cory Brown from 2015-17. Herring did not take the role up, as it was thought his talents were better suited in other areas.
Otago assistant coaches Tom Donnelly and Ryan Martin loom as possible candidates for the job.
Martin has been keen to get into professional coaching after a long and successful stint coaching the Otago Boys' High School First XV. He went to Singapore for the Global Rapid Rugby competition to coach the Asia Pacific Dragons, although this competition was scaled back to just four games in April and May this year.
Martin could not be contacted yesterday.
Donnelly, a former Otago, Highlanders and All Black lock, has been coaching the forwards since 2017.
The Otago forward pack has been performing well over the past couple of seasons, which is a plus mark for Donnelly.
He is relatively green but has the Otago connections, which also works in his favour.
Club coaches may be interested and there is talk of Green Island coach Dean Moeahu having a shot at the job.
But professional coaching jobs have become specialised positions and a pathway for former players who have been involved in the game. It is rare for a coach from another industry to pick up a provincial coaching job.
Applications close on August 2 and the position should start at the end of the 2019 season.
Otago kicks off its Mitre 10 Cup season with a match against Bay of Plenty in Tauranga on August 11 and the competition is set to finish at the end of October.