Michael Maguire has been confirmed as Wigan's new head coach after the Australian agreed a three-year deal.
Melbourne Storm assistant to replace Noble
Michael Maguire has been confirmed as Wigan's new head coach after the Australian agreed a three-year deal.
Maguire will arrive at the Warriors in November having worked as assistant coach under Craig Bellamy at NRL Grand Final winners Melbourne Storm.
The 35-year-old takes over the reins from former Great Britain and Bradford boss Brian Noble, who endured a turbulent - and trophy-less stint - at the DW Stadium.
And Maguire, who becomes the club's 11th new coach in 14 years, has been handed the task of succeeding where Noble failed.
Wigan chairman Ian Lenagan is confident, though, that Maguire has the pedigree to recreate the same success the club enjoyed in the late 1980s, early 1990s.
He said: "Michael is one of the most highly-rated young coaches in the game who has learned under a master coach at Melbourne in Craig Bellamy."
Maguire will be assisted by current Wigan reserves coach Shaun Wane, who had been in the running to replace Noble.
The latter's three-and-a-half-year reign came to an end following their latest final near-miss - Saturday's Super League play-off semi-final defeat by St Helens.
He is expected to join Celtic Crusaders in the next few days.
Lenagan also revealed that, had the Warriors won the Challenge Cup at Wembley, Noble would have "probably" been handed a 12-month extension to his contract.
Won over
However, he now feels the club needs an overseas coach and was won over by Australian coaching methods during a visit Down Under earlier this year.
New Zealand national coach Stephen Kearney, who is also on the backroom staff at Melbourne, was thought to be the original target for Lenagan, who said he has also been impressed by Nathan Brown's impact in his first season at Huddersfield.
The former St George Illawarra coach was this week named Super League coach of the year after guiding the Giants to third place in the regular season table.
"It's the sheer excellence of their systems - procedures, discipline and standards but in particular their technology," Lenagan said. "They particularly impressed me with some of their monitoring systems.
"We need to kick on. Some of the Super League clubs are ahead of us, you only have to look at what Nathan Brown has done at Huddersfield.
"I long for their technical excellence in rugby league and Michael embodies the intellectual approach to coaching that I think only Australia at the moment can bring.
"I hate to say that but, if it means we have to import some coaching ability to help our players, we will."
Maguire, who will become the second youngest head coach in Super League behind 34-year-old Hull KR boss Justin Morgan, was a utility player with Canberra and Adelaide.
His career was cut short by a neck injury but, after a brief stint as a physical education teacher in Canberra, he embarked on a career in coaching.
Maguire took charge of junior sides in Canberra before serving as an assistant to Matthew Elliott and in 2005 was taken to Melbourne by Bellamy.
He served as the Storm backs coach, with Kearney looking after the forwards, but took overall charge of the team when Bellamy was away on State of Origin duty.
"It is a big step but I think I'm well grounded with my old tutors in Australia," Maguire said.
"Craig has allowed me to take control of the team when he's been away with State of Origin and also Australia.
"I've had a good apprenticeship and this came at the right time. Wigan also fitted the mould for me.
"They're an enormous club and it's a great honour to be given the head coaching role."
