Matt Diskin to replace John Kear as head coach of Batley
Thursday 14 April 2016 12:46, UK
Batley have appointed former Bradford and Leeds hooker Matt Diskin as head coach.
The 34-year-old, who was on a five-man short-list for the job, will leave his full-time role as assistant to James Lowes at Bradford to take on his first head coaching position in a part-time capacity at the end of the season.
Diskin, who owns his own estate agency, was a four-time Super League title winner with Leeds before moving to Bradford and joined the Bulls' backroom staff when he retired as a player at the end of the 2014 season.
He replaces John Kear who is leaving the Bulldogs to become director of rugby at Wakefield from 2017 and took part in the selection process for his successor.
Batley chairman Kevin Nicholas said: "Matt is presently in a full-time post at a big rugby league club and so for him to step down from that role and come to us, in a part-time capacity, shows a big commitment from him with the support of his wife and family.
"I asked him how long he wanted to pledge to the club in the first instance and without hesitation he said three years. We shook hands on it and so for the next three years, at least, he will be our head coach."
