England and Leicester legend Dan Cole set for first coaching role

The Leicester and England stalwart is in talks to join Tigers’ backroom team just weeks after hanging up his boots — and might not be out of the game for long.

The Telegraph reports that Cole is close to sealing a role within Geoff Parling’s coaching setup at Mattioli Woods Welford Road.

The pair share deep rugby ties: Leicester, England, and the British & Irish Lions. What Cole’s role will look like remains unclear, but it’s understood to be part of a wider structural shift behind the scenes.

Cole bowed out of his 343-game Tigers career with a yellow card in the Premiership final defeat to Bath — a controversial ending for a player revered for his set-piece steel and enduring presence in the front row.

Meanwhile, general manager Richard Wilks has left the club, with Leicester confirming a replacement will be announced “in due course.” Wilks had played a major role in player recruitment — an area in which Cole reportedly took a growing interest as his playing days wound down.

While Cole is not stepping into Wilks’s shoes directly, his potential off-field return hints at a new chapter for the club legend in shaping the next generation.