Cameron Ciraldo has signed a five-year deal to take over as Canterbury head coach next season.
The in-demand Penrith assistant has helped mastermind the defending premiers' climb to dominance under Ivan Cleary.
However, Ciraldo has decided to take the step up into the head coach role at the Bulldogs after previously knocking back the Wests Tigers' job.
Interim Bulldogs coach Mick Potter was keen to stay on after taking over from sacked coach Trent Barrett earlier this season.
However, Canterbury general manager of football Phil Gould wanted Ciraldo — who has been in various coaching roles at the Panthers since 2014 — to fill the position.
Ciraldo's arrival at Belmore will likely keep star playmaker Matt Burton at the club.
Burton worked with Ciraldo at the Panthers before linking up with the Bulldogs this season.
"As the club continues to build for long-term, sustained success, we are pleased Cameron shares the vision of ensuring our football programs are best-in-class," a Bulldogs club statement read.
The Panthers confirmed Ciraldo would depart the club at the end of the season.
"On behalf of all at Panthers, we would like to congratulate Cameron for his appointment as an NRL head coach," Panthers chief executive Matt Cameron said in a statement.
"Although we're saddened to see Cameron depart the club at the end of the season, we're thrilled to see him progress to the next chapter of his NRL coaching career.
"A highly-respected member of the coaching staff, Cameron has played his part in making our club a source of community pride, and was influential in providing an environment for players to thrive."
Ciraldo played for Penrith, Newcastle and Cronulla during his 94-match NRL career.
He finished up with the Panthers in 2013 and joined the club's coaching staff the following season as an assistant coach in the under-20s program.
Ciraldo later served as the Panthers' under-20s head coach, before becoming an assistant at the NRL level.
He was defence coach when the Panthers won last year's premiership, while he was caretaker head coach in 2018 after the club parted ways with Anthony Griffin.
AAP/ABC
