He was greeted as a “wildcard appointment”, has been admired as a “very sharp student of the game” and is seen by one former team-mate as a “big coup” for Leicester Tigers.
When Geoff Parling returns to Tigers in the summer after 10 years away, he will do so as a rookie head coach with a big reputation.
The 41-year-old former England lock, who earned three British and Irish Lions caps while playing for Leicester, where he won two Premiership titles in six years, replaces a coach of world renown in Michael Cheika.
For months, Tigers’ search for Cheika’s successor had the club linked to a multitude of high-profile coaching figures.
Stade Francais coach and ex-Harlequins head of rugby Paul Gustard and ex-Munster head coach Graham Rowntree were two former Tigers that were favourites for the job at different times,, external as was ex-England boss Stuart Lancaster and even former New Zealand player and assistant coach Leon MacDonald.
Australia assistant Parling, whose entire coaching career to date has been spent working down under after he retired as a player in 2018, was the surprise choice.
“He hadn’t been mentioned at all,” said former Leicester Tigers and England winger Tom Varndell, whose first spell with Tigers ended in 2009 before Parling moved to Mattioli Woods Welford Road from Newcastle.
“Geoff is a bit of a wildcard, but I think he is a really good one.
“It’s someone that knows the club, he has been part of successful Tigers teams, has learned his trade as a coach in the southern hemisphere and he will bring a huge amount of experience from that back to Leicester.”
