SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Warriors will have some new coaches for the 2020 rugby season.
The Warriors, who struggled in their recently finished Major League Rugby campaign, will not renew head coach Alf Daniels' contract and are losing forwards coach Stevie Scott to personal reasons, the team announced Tuesday.
"It’s with remorse that Alf Daniels and I have concluded that for the best interests of the team that we part ways with Alf as head coach of the Utah Warriors," Warriors owner Kimball Kjar said through a press release.
"Alf was the only candidate I interviewed that came into this role with his shovel ready and sleeves rolled and ready to work in building the foundation of the Warriors. The entire organization, including myself will forever be grateful for the efforts, sacrifice and commitment that Alf gave to this team, the players and our great fans."
It has been an honor to serve as head coach for the Utah Warriors rugby team in their opening two seasons, and I thank the Warriors for giving me this opportunity. – Former Utah Warriors coach Alf Daniels
The Warriors went 2-12-2 and finished in eighth place in 2019. The Utah club made the playoffs in the inaugural 2018 MLR season with a 3-7-0 mark.
Daniels thanked the rugby community for the support the past two seasons.
"It has been an honor to serve as head coach for the Utah Warriors rugby team in their opening two seasons, and I thank the Warriors for giving me this opportunity," Daniels said via the Warriors. "The players, management, staff and I have worked hard to build the foundation for what I hope will lead to greater success for this club in future years."
Scott has already left to return to his native Scotland after being away from his family for seven months. The team announced that backs coach James Semple will remain during the transition period.
The Warriors have also decided to create the program's first director of rugby position.
"With the MLR growing at the pace that it is, it’s important for us to push our abilities to not only keep up but to eventually and consistently outpace our competition in all areas on and off the field," Kjar said. "As such, strategically, it’s important for the team to bring in a new driver of our team culture and the overall management of player personnel and the coaching staff."
The Seattle Seawolves defended their MLR championship, defeating the San Diego Legion 26-23 over the weekend.
The league's third season begins in February 2020 and will include the addition of three new franchises in Atlanta, Boston and Washington, D.C.