Frank Hadden
Frank Hadden (born 14 June 1954) is the current coach of the Scotland national rugby union team. He was appointed on 15 September, 2005 [1] replacing Matt Williams. He has coached the Edinburgh Gunners with increasing success until now.
Background
Frank Hadden was born 14 June 1954 in Dundee. He was educated at the High School of Dundee and Strathclyde University playing rugby for both. He attended the Carnegie School of PE in Leeds to pursue a teaching career. While teaching at Guiseley School, he played rugby union for Headingley, occasionally playing in the 1st XV, when the incumbent fly half, Ian McGeechan (who later became coach of Scotland and the British Lions) was away on international playing duty. He has a vast array of family members, notably his niece (Suzanne Hadden) who went to George Watson's College (rivals of Merchiston) and now studies at Dundee University.
Coaching career
In 1983, Hadden was appointed Head of PE and director of rugby at Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh, and, as the school's 1st XV became a dominant force in Scottish schools rugby, he acquired a name as a coach with promise. In 1992 he accepted his first national challenge, when asked to coach a Scotland under-16s team. Although he continued coaching Scottish age-group teams, Hadden's first taste of the big-time came in 1997 when he was appointed assistant coach with Caledonian Reds, one of the four new pro teams launched in Scotland after the game turned professional. Hadden was included in the 1998 Scotland tour of Australia in the capacity of technical coach. However, when the SRU was forced to cut the Reds during budget cut-backs, Hadden returned to teach at Merchiston.
Edinburgh Rugby
In 2000, when a player revolt led to the removal of Ian Rankin as coach of Edinburgh Rugby, Hadden agreed to quit teaching and accept the role of head coach. In 2004, he became the first coach to take a Scottish professional team to the Heineken Cup quarter-finals.
National Coach
In April 2005 he was appointed Scotland interim coach, leading Scotland to victories against the Barbarians and Romania. September 15, 2005 saw Hadden confirmed as Scotland coach until the Rugby Union World Cup in 2007.
His first Six Nations game was a historic victory over France at Murrayfield on February 5, 2006 by 20 points to 16. This was the first time since 1999 that Scotland has beaten France. He has succeeded in generating confidence in the team which was clearly lacking under the regime of his predecessor, Matt Williams. (The players available are almost the same, though Gordon Bulloch and Tom Smith have now retired from the international scene.)
See also
External Source
- The simple truth of Hadden's success (Telegraph, February 10, 2006)