The Reds have rounded off their coaching staff for next season with the re-signing of Super Rugby-winning High Performance coaches, Jim McKay and Damian Marsh.
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McKay and Marsh joined the Reds in 2010 and have played integral roles in the team’s recent success which has seen them win the Super Rugby title in 2011 and a second consecutive Australian Conference trophy in 2012.
The pair’s will link up with Director of Coaching Ewen McKenzie and incoming Head Coach Richard Graham to form the coaching structure for 2013 and beyond in Brisbane.
McKay will perform the role of Reds Senior Assistant Coach for the next two seasons and his core responsibility remains managing the team’s attack, while Marsh will continue in his role as Reds Head Performance Coach, managing player rehabilitation and the strength and conditioning program as well as overseeing the team’s medical staff.
“We have one of the smallest, but I believe, one of the most talented coaching groups in the competition and both Jim and Damian have played a huge part in the improvements and success the Reds have achieved over the past three seasons,” McKenzie said.
“Both are highly regarded as leaders within their specific areas of expertise and I couldn’t be happier to have them recommit to our Rugby program.
“In their roles, and as senior coaching staff, the pair are also given a heavy responsibility in managing the logistics and workload of our training program on a daily basis, and together they work extremely effectively in this space,” he added.
Earlier this year McKay, who is a qualified Level Four Rugby Football Union (RFU) Coach, finished his Masters of Coaching and Education after completing his final thesis on the ‘Role of Unstructured Practice in Elite Rugby’ at Sydney University.
Headhunted from the prestigious Leicester Tigers Academy by then incoming coach McKenzie in 2010, McKay brought with him an incredible winning strike rate of over 80 percent in 14 seasons.
In that time as Head Coach, McKay coached in the amateur scene at North Walsham, travelled through a number of semi-professional clubs such as the Henley Hawks and at top-flight organisations like Orrell and Leicester.
He also spent four years as Head Coach of top Division 1 side Cornish Pirates in Cornwall, which included winning the National Powergen Cup at Twickenham.
“I’m very proud and privileged to coach Queensland and one of the main reasons I want to stay is my drive to improve and to be the best I can be on a personal level, but also to see the playing group be better as players and achieve their goals,” McKay said.
Before joining the Reds, Marsh spent nine seasons with the Brumbies and was involved in their Super Rugby championship seasons in 2001 and 2004. His background in Rugby also extends to the Australian Under-21 team in 2002-04 and Australia A between 2006-07.
Marsh boasts first-class honours in his degree of Human Movements and also a Diploma in Sports Nutrition from the International Olympic Committee.
“We’re still a young and developing squad and, in hindsight, possibly achieved success before people expected. That puts us in a good position moving forward as we continue to grow as a group, especially for the younger players, who will continue to develop as leaders,” he said.