Hepher given Exeter academy role months after exit

Ali Hepher was Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter's first coaching appointment in 2009

Exeter Chiefs have reappointed Ali Hepher in an academy role less than four months after the coach ended a 16-year stay at the club by mutual consent.

Hepher was head coach from 2017 until his demotion to backs and attack coach in March, lasting little more than a month in the role before being suspended alongside boss Rob Hunter following a club-record 79-17 loss at Gloucester.

Hepher was first appointed at Sandy Park in 2009 as Baxter's assistant and helped them win two Premiership titles and the 2020 European Champions Cup.

Exeter announced in May that the 50-year-old would "take a break from the sport" to spend more time with his family and "step back from the demands" of the game.

Former England squad member Hepher has now been given a performance coach role to develop players from the age of 16, as well as "input" in identifying prospects below that age.

He held a comparable position at the start of his coaching career with Northampton Saints, who he played for as a fly-half.

"Personally, I'm really pleased to have Ali on board in this new role," Chiefs director of rugby Rob Baxter told the club website.

"It's a role I am very keen for Ali to take up this season. It allows us to get some top-quality, very experienced coaching into our academy group, both for coach education and to keep a close eye on our best young players coming through.

"We want them to get attention in all the key fundamentals of how to play - not just the skills of how to catch, pass and tackle, but that ability to read the game and decipher how things are going to unfold.

"It's also about ensuring they know how to be a professional rugby player from a very young age, to understand the standards you must set and the challenges you're going to face.

"This is a very positive step for us in terms of developing Exeter players for the future."

Hunter had been at the club for 13 years but was head coach for only four games and left days after the pair were suspended.