Christie will join up with the side in the new year as its new defence coach, having built up an impressive resume with the Tasman side in that role.
It is a quick ascendancy for Christie, who was co-captain of the Highlanders in 2016 and played 30 games for the side from 2014-17.
He ended up retiring from the rugby in 2018 after displaying concussion-like symptoms for the previous 18 months.
Christie (35) was an openside flanker and came into the professional game late after a building career.
He started coaching with Tasman in 2018 and has fashioned an impressive record with the Tasman side.
The team made it through to the semifinals in 2018 and have won the Mitre 10 Cup premiership title over the past couple of years with a steely defence one of the cores of its game.
The Highlanders defence was looked after last year by Aaron Mauger, who has moved.
Highlanders coach Tony Brown said Christie was a diligent worker and a winner.
"Naturally I knew Shane as a player and even then I suspected he would make a good coach, he is diligent, driven and most of all very passionate about the Highlanders. I’m sure he will slot into our coaching team very well he already has a good working relationship with Clarke at Tasman" Brown said.
"A lot of defence is about attitude and Shane has a very competitive attitude and he loves to win — in other words he hates to lose, which I like as a motivating factor."
The Highlanders received plenty of applications for the role but felt Christie stood out.
Christie would be younger than lock Bryn Evans, and is just a few months older than prop Josh Hohneck.
Christie would join Brown and assistants Clarke Dermody and Riki Flutey in the Highlanders coaching team. He is another Tasman link to the franchise which has had many players from the area recently.
