The Otago rugby coaches for next year will not be announced until they have been ratified by the Otago Rugby Football Union board on Monday night.
The hot favourites to get the job are former All Black Tony Brown and former Southland coach Phil Young.
Chairman Wayne Graham was in Auckland on business yesterday and was not available to talk to the Otago Daily Times.
He indicated last week that the delay in announcing the coaches was because the union needed to get "the contractual process right.
"That is the cause of the delay. I don't want to make any announcement until the agreements have been signed."
The co-coaches of the Otago team this year, Phil Mooney and Andy Hunter, are not available next season. Mooney will return to Brisbane to work with the Wests Club and Hunter has returned to his job as principal at Balmacewen Intermediate.
Young, the former Southland chief coach, has the credentials to do the job. He has been assistant coach for Otago and the Highlanders and is ready to step up.
He was co-coach with Graeme Anderson of the Taieri team that won the Dunedin premier banner this year for the first time since 1955.
The specialist forward coach has a reputation for producing competitive packs. Every team he has been involved with has performed well.
Young is employed by the ORFU as a resource coach and it is not yet clear if he could continue in this role and also coach Otago.
Brown has a lot of international experience and has played in Japan and South Africa since ending his days with Otago and the Highlanders.
He is contracted to the Sanyo club in Japan and is not expected back in Dunedin until the end of February.
A third member of the coaching team is expected to be Kees Meeuws, who has just been appointed scrum coach for the Highlanders.
Other coaches waiting in the wings are John Leslie and Mike Moeahu, who have both coached teams to Dunedin premier banners.
