Wasps: Rotherham Titans coach Lee Blackett to join backroom staff

Lee Blackett's Titans broke the club's season scoring record by 220 points last season

Rotherham Titans head coach Lee Blackett is to leave the Championship club this summer to join the backroom staff at Premiership side Wasps.

The 32-year-old Chester-born former Rotherham captain is to become Wasps' backs coach for the 2015-16 season.

He replaces former Wales international fly-half Stephen Jones, who is returning to Scarlets.

He will be part of a four-man coaching team under Dai Young, the club's director of rugby.

Young, who also has the job title of head coach, also has defence coach Brad Davis and part-time assistant coach Andy Titterrell on his backroom team.

Blackett was the youngest coach in the Championship when he took up the role of head coach with Titans in 2013 at the age of 30, leading his side to fourth place.

"Lee is one of the brightest young coaches in Britain," said Young. "He has won admiration throughout the game for turning Rotherham into one of the strongest teams outside the Premiership.

"We always knew the time would come when Stephen would want to return to Wales with his young family. He's done a great job for us, after moving straight from a player to backs coach when Shane Howarth left."

Young continued: "There were two options. One was to recruit a vastly experienced backs coach who has been there and done it. Option two was to get the best up and coming coach out there.

"The vastly experienced option was a non-starter really, simply because there is no one of that level on the market at the moment, so we decided to look at the most promising young coaches coming through.

"Lee has impressed knowledgeable onlookers by his attention to detail, enthusiasm and professionalism and his proven ability to get the best out of the players he coaches."