Aberdeen Grammar chairman Gordon Thomson has set new coach Stuart Corsar the target of leading the club back to the Premiership within the next two years after appointing the former captain as lead coach at Rubislaw.
Corsar, 30, the club’s development officer, replaces head coach Kevin Wyness who was sacked following Grammar’s relegation from Scottish rugby’s top flight last month.
Corsar will head up a team of coaches in a new-look coaching team and Thomson expects them to deliver a return to the top flight quickly.
Thomson said: “I am convinced the new coaching team will lead us to promotion. I would like to think we will be back in the top flight within two years, but it is not going to be easy.
“As much as anything we must aim to improve at all levels in the club. In particular our under-18 team needs better exposure.”
Grammar have brought in players for New Zealand and Australia during the top flight run, but Corsar has been told to recruit locally for the club’s pro- motion push.
Chairman Thomson said: “Being relegated was a big blow for us, especially as we played quite well in most of our 18 Premiership games, but failed to close out games we should have won.
“It has, however, given us the opportunity to take stock and in particular look to our strong youth section and develop its potential, and produce a generally local team.”
Corsar, who put his name forward to replace Wyness following his departure, has welcomed the challenge and is determined to deliver an immediate return back to the Premiership next season.
He said: “I believe we can come back after one season in the National League. But as Gordon says it will not be easy against teams of the quality of Watsonians, Dundee High, Stewart’s-Melville and the four Borders sides.
“This is a challenge I put my hand up for, and one that I welcome, especially as I am supported by a strong, committed coaching team, but most of all a team who are hurting from the experience of being relegated, some of who know they under-performed.
“Many of last year’s squad, including our many young players will be available for the new season.
“They will all get their chance, particularly as we will be reducing our commitment to overseas players.”
Corsar, who first played for the club in the early part of the last decade, returned to the club two years ago after a spell as a professional player with Glasgow Warriors before moving to Rotherham Titans and then Doncaster Knights.
The former Garioch player is part of a coaching team which include Alastair O’Connor, last season’s backs coach, Rob Currie, a former flanker at Grammar who helped mastermind Aberdeenshire’s promotion to the national leagues with Eric Strachan, and Thomas Pinet, an experienced French lock who played for the club before hanging up his boots.
Graham Barron will be team manager, assisted by Neil Emmison formerly one of the backroom staff at Ellon.
The new look coaching team take up their duties when training starts for the new season on July 1 before the first competitive game on August 30.