Leeds Rhinos will embark on an “exhaustive” process to identify their next head coach but chief executive Gary Hetherington is keen to find a new role at Headingley for Richard Agar. Agar has stepped down as head coach, ending a tenure that began in May 2019, initially on an interim basis, following the sacking of Australian Dave Furner.
Agar steadied the ship and guided the Rhinos away from relegation danger in 2019 before winning his first major trophy as a head coach the following season with victory over Salford in the Challenge Cup final. After taking Leeds to the play-off semi-finals last term, the close-season acquisition of Blake Austin, Aidan Sezer, David Fusitu’a and James Bentley encouraged hopes of a title challenge this year.
But Leeds have lost five of their opening six Super League games, prompting Agar to throw in towel and leave Hetherington searching for a new man. Assistant coach Jamie Jones-Buchanan has been appointed interim head coach but Hetherington will leave no stone unturned in his bid to find a top-class permanent successor to Agar.
