Five Favourites to Replace Steve Diamond at Newcastle Red Bulls

Steve Diamond has been relieved of his duties by Newcastle Red Bulls less than one week into the season.

The Director of Rugby has been at Kingston Park since February 2024 and helped keep the club afloat during its most difficult time, before Red Bull completed their takeover this summer.

His only Prem game under the new ownership was a 39-17 home defeat against Saracens last weekend. Nobody has been confirmed as his replacement yet, but here are five people who may replace Diamond at Newcastle.

The frontrunner to replace Diamond has long been touted as Scotland boss Gregor Townsend. In his time as coach of Scotland, Townsend has improved the side massively and now has a team capable of competing in the Six Nations, although there are many with the opinion that he has now taken Scotland as far as he can and it could be the time to go after being there since 2017.

He was also attack coach for the 2021 British and Irish Lions tour, as well as leading Scotland to their first win at Twickenham in 38 years in the same year. His last spell at club level came between 2012 and 2017, where he led Glasgow Warriors to the Pro12 (now URC) title in 2015. Given his work with improving Scotland, he would be a good person to bring in to potentially take the Red Bulls to the next level with their newfound investment.

It is worth noting that he has recently signed a contract to the 2027 World Cup with Scotland, but if the new owners want their man, then they could well buy him out for a large fee.

A very high-profile name within rugby, Ronan O’Gara would be a box office appointment that would really show that Red Bull mean business. While O’Gara is understood to want an international move, the financial muscle of Red Bull now means that it is one of the most exciting projects in rugby and something hard to turn down. Currently at La Rochelle, the Ireland legend has won two Champions Cups with the French side as a coach, achieving the feat back-to-back in 2022 and 2023.

As a player, O'Gara is Ireland's third-most capped player and second highest points scorer. He would bring prestige to the north-east if he was to go to Kingston Park, and it would be a statement if they could prise him away from a strong Top 14 side.

When previously linked to Munster, O’Gara did say, “I am contracted to 2027. A contract is a contract. Unless I get fired, I’ll be there until 2027.”

Former Wales boss Gatland has previously been linked with a surprise move back to English rugby, with reports over the summer suggesting that he could be in contention for the Newcastle role. While his time at Wales ended badly, he is a coach with an incredible wealth of experience. In the early 2000s, he led Wasps to multiple Premiership and European titles. He also led the British and Irish Lions for three tours between 2013 and 2021, winning the 2013 series against Australia and drawing in 2017 against the All Blacks.

A four-time Six Nations champion with Wales, the New Zealander ended his tenure with the nation by losing his last 14 Test matches, which ended up with them going on their worst run ever. With that and the fact that he was most recently at Penarol in Uruguay as an advisor, Newcastle fans may see this as an appointment based on name only and not on current credentials.

However, there are few coaches in rugby who can match Gatland’s CV, and his experience could be invaluable in guiding Newcastle’s next chapter.

Dowson has emerged as a strong contender for the Newcastle job, with reports linking the Northampton Saints boss to a potential return to the club he played at for eight years in the 2000s.

The 44-year-old, who is celebrating his birthday today, is a lifelong Newcastle United fan and began his playing career at Falcons before moving to Northampton in 2009. A former England international, Dowson is now in the final year of his Saints contract and is yet to agree fresh terms. Known as a progressive, ambitious coach, he fits the profile of the kind of leader Red Bull want following their takeover.

While last season wasn't the best in terms of league form, Saints were losing Champions Cup finalists and beat URC winners Leinster away in Dublin in one of the most surprising results in recent history.

It is also believed that he wants to coach England in the future, with his Saints contract currently holding a clause that would allow him to pursue that. This clause is something that Newcastle would need to be willing to accommodate, otherwise this deal may not work.

The least likely of this list to end up permanently coaching Newcastle, Alan Dickens is the man who has been promoted to head coach immediately after Diamond’s departure. While it is widely believed that Red Bulls will want a big name, if Dickens impresses in his short time as interim then he could prove to be a smart appointment.

His previous head coach experience includes being at England U20s between 2019 and 2023, before joining Tigers for the 2023-24 season and then Newcastle. Dickens is the only person on the list with an opportunity to impress at the club though, which could work in his favour.