Steve Diamond has revealed a series of family issues was the reason he stepped down as Sale director of rugby in December.
The 52-year-old revealed on Rugby Tonight that the death of his mother last year, 12 months after his brother passed away, and a terminal cancer diagnosis for his sister prompted his decision to leave.
Commenting on his long tenure with the Sharks, Diamond said: “I built with Simon (Orange) and Ged (Mason) a fantastic management team, a great club, really solid foundations and I thought if there was a time for me to step aside and let the other people come through that was the best time,
“The last four weeks have rejuvenated me and at the right time I’ll get back in the horse, but it was the right thing for me to do at the time.”
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LIST | 4 possible replacements for Steve Diamond at Sale Sharks
Here we look at four possible replacements for the departing boss.
1. Richard Cockerill
After being forced out of Tigers, the former England hooker has established himself as a top coach once again with Edinburgh in the Top 14 despite having a lack of resources. A move back to the Premiership with Sale, who have a stunning new training ground, could make sense.