Titans Chief Executive Steve Mitchell said the Club will not be rushed in the appointment of a new Head Coach, with the selection process around the right candidate still being finalised by the Gold Coast hierarchy.
Mitchell addressed the media at the Titans High Performance Centre at Parkwood this morning amid speculation outside the Club that an appointment was imminent.
Mitchell said an announcement was “close”, but given the importance of the decision, the Club was determined to take its time to ensure the process was completed properly.
“We are getting close,” Mitchell said. “We hope to have an answer in the next couple of days. Not today.
“We have been delighted by the amount of applications that we have had, and the people that have come in for the job globally.
The candidate level and the quality of that has been quite extraordinary. We have been overwhelmed by it.
“Because of the nature of the decision, and how critical it is, we can’t be rushed on this, and we need to get the best fit.
“It would be great to have that candidate here for the pre-season. It would be great to have them here to start afresh and new. But we need to work within the complexities of the situation.”
When asked what qualities the Titans were looking for in their next Head Coach, Mitchell said the ability to deliver a consistently successful football team for the Gold Coast and Northern Rivers community was the top priority.
“Leadership, culture. Bringing a playing group on and getting them to play at their best – everything that we want to look for in an elite program, and a program that is sustainable and ongoing over years,” he said.
“Ultimately, this region deserves to play in finals consistently, and deserves to win a premiership.
“We need someone who can grab our player cohort over a long period of time, get the very best out of them and take the Gold Coast onto the national platform.”
We are getting close. We hope to have an answer in the next couple of days. Not today.
We have been delighted by the amount of applications that we have had, and the people that have come in for the job globally.
I think there is a huge opportunity here for coaches in that the Titans have never played in a grand final, there’s 16,500 registered Members between Logan and Lismore, we are big in the women’s game, we have great owners, e are investing, there is wonderful nursery – our junior and 16s and 18 are winning national titles.
So there is great promise here. The candidate level ane the quality of that has been quite extraordinary. We have been overwhelmed by it.
Leadership, culture. Bringing a playing group on and getting them to play at their best – everything that we want to look for in an elite program, and a program that is sustainable and ongoing over years.
Ultimately, this regions deserves to play in finals consistently, and deserves to win a premiership.
We need someone who can grab our player cohort over a long period of time, get the very best out of them and take the Gold Coast onto the national platform.
Because of the nature of the decision, and how critical it is, we can’t be rushed on this, and we need to get the best fit.
It would be great to have that candidate here for the pre-season. It would be great to have them here to start afresh and new.
But we need to work within the complexities of the situation.
