The cost of losing quality coaches overseas is becoming clear, with All Black coach Henry possibly still having a role to play, despite his now picking up a pension.
Hansen had previously indicated he wanted the top job after eight years as assistant. He started in the Canterbury set-up and was then Welsh head coach before heading home in 2004 to join Henry and Wayne Smith.
The former policeman appears to have the position there for the taking, although he has been skirting around the subject all week and was not saying anything after the World Cup final win on Sunday night.
Henry did not announce his retirement after Sunday's game, as many thought he would, suggesting he may still be in the picture next season. However, he did yesterday confirm he will coach the Barbarians against Australia at Twickenham on November 26.
"I will just enjoy the game for the next few days," Henry said.
"It is a real privilege to coach the All Blacks and it is a real privilege for me. I think there is a learning here. Far too [often] in times in sport, people are replaced because they don't get the desired result despite being very good with what they do.
"I'm not saying I am, but they just need another chance. You look at some of the most successful coaches around the world and they are getting on in years.
"We are probably too quick to shoot them. What they did in 2007 [re-appointed three coaches] was a difficult thing to do but maybe it was the right thing to do."
If Henry does go, he appears to be pushing Hansen's name to the front of a relatively short queue.
"From the reaction of the players, that is why I re-stood. We put a lot of pressure on the players to perform week in, week out, so there is a big demand made by the three of us and others for Richie [McCaw] and his team to perform.
"In 2007 I thought I had to stand up. I did not think I would be reappointed but I had to hang in there.
"If you look at 2007 we are a much stronger team now. We are going to learn from this World Cup. And that is the beauty of continuity. People continue to be involved rather than having to start again and cleaning everything out."
Wayne Smith is moving on to help out at the Chiefs franchise and, apart from Hansen, the cupboard looks bare.
Super 15 coaches Todd Blackadder, Jamie Joseph and Pat Lam are all still learning their trade while Dave Rennie has only just taken over as the coach of the Chiefs.
The two possible rivals to Hansen - Robbie Deans (Australia) and Warren Gatland (Wales) - are in watertight contracts with their respective nations and appear in no hurry to come home.
The biggest question mark is not over Hansen but who he will bring with him.
Former Chiefs coach Ian Foster has been aired as a possible assistant but his track record with the talent-laden Chiefs is not great.
All Black kicking coach Mick Byrne has also been considered a candidate as an assistant but his background is in Australian football, and some All Black fans may be uncomfortable with an Australian in the full coaching team.
Other possibilities include Auckland coach Mark Anscombe, Natal coach John Plumtree and Taranaki and former Hurricanes coach Colin Cooper.
No one name sticks out, and that may lead to Henry being involved in some capacity over the next year or two.
The New Zealand Rugby Union had previously said it wanted to make a decision on the coach by the end of this year. The current trio's contracts finished after the World Cup.
Henry also threw a spanner in the works over what the coach now does, saying the side had become a major voice in the team and made many of the decisions.
"It is about players having self-reliance. They are taking ownership of the team and that really came through. They were under a lot of pressure but didn't give away any penalties and the French were really strong. We gutsed it out and I think that showed the strength in the leadership group.
"This team has been ranked No 1 in the world for a long time and it was great they could hang in there and take the pressure. To come through with a win under that French pressure was something we could probably not have done two or three years ago.
"I'm very proud the guys hung in there and showed the character and resilience."
