A premiership-winning coach, one of Otago rugby's finest stalwarts, and a former Otago flanker who has been around the coaching ranks in the south for more than a decade loom as serious obstacles to Steve Martin retaining the Otago coaching job.
Otago coach Steve Martin, along with assistant coach Bruce Carvell, will be forced to re-apply after the Otago Rugby Football Union decided to advertise their positions yesterday.
Martin wants to coach again, after three years in charge, but he will be seriously challenged for his position.
Carvell could not be contacted yesterday.
Alhambra-Union coach Mike Moeahu confirmed he would apply for the position.
He said it was a job that he has always fancied, and provided he could sort things out with his employer, TrustPower, he would apply.
The job is full-time for only the Air New Zealand Cup season, which runs from August to October.
Martin is also employed as the defence coach for the Highlanders.
Moeahu, who lives in Milton, has coached the Alhambra-Union premier side for three years, leading it to two banners.
He has also coached the Otago Sevens side, and Otago age-group sides, and helped out at the Toko club.
Moeahu played senior rugby as a halfback for Green Island in the 1980s.
ORFU resource coach Phil Young said he would apply.
He said he had a lot of passion for the job, and always wanted to have a go at the position.
Young coached Southland for four years, and was an assistant coach with Otago for seven years.
He was previously a Highlanders assistant coach, concentrating on the forwards.
A former Otago openside flanker, Young is employed by the Otago union to coach coaches.
Former Otago hooker David Latta, who played 161 times for Otago, said the position would be something he would contemplate, but that depended on other criteria.
He said there would be lots of other things to think about, such as the length of the contract and how his other work would fit around it.
A South Otago builder, Latta had been involved with Otago Country for three years, two years with Marty Hurring, and one year with Kelvin Carruthers.
Otago B coach Paul Hessian declined to comment.
North Otago coach Mike Mullins would talk to North Otago union management and his family before making a decision but said he wanted to coach an Air New Zealand Cup team, and the Otago position was attractive.
Otago development coach Andrew Hunter said he would have to talk to his family and coaching partner Brett McCormack before deciding on whether to apply.
But he was keen on the job.
University A coach John Leslie had previously indicated coaching Otago next year was too early but he may be encouraged to reconsider.
It was widely thought in rugby circles Martin would be re-appointed but disappointing results forced the board's hand.
Left-field candidates could be Jeff Wilson, who left the union last year after a short stint as director of coaching, or even former five-eighth Tony Brown, who is coaching and still playing in Japan.
Brown is a possibility to play for the Highlanders next year.
