Sean Everitt signs extended Edinburgh deal and earns new job title as initial reservations evaporate

South African commits for two more years with his family’s blessing

Sean Everitt has signed a new Edinburgh contract extension and has been given the title of head coach. (Photo by Ewan Bootman / SNS Group)

Sean Everitt promised the best is still to come after extending his contract as Edinburgh’s head coach for a further two years.

The South African replaced Mike Blair in the summer after a disappointing campaign that saw the capital side finish 12th in the United Rugby Championship (URC) and miss out on the playoffs.

Initially handed a one-year deal and given the title of senior coach, Everitt’s strong start to life at the Hive Stadium has been rewarded with a longer deal - and a new title - that will keep him at the club until June 2026.

Edinburgh sit fifth in the URC table following their victory over rivals Glasgow at Murrayfield, winning six of their nine matches to date, but Everitt believes they have yet to demonstrate their full potential.

“It’s really exciting [to sign the extension] as I’ve really enjoyed my stay so far,” he said. “I’ve been made very welcome and the team have responded well to some of the new ideas that I’ve brought in.

“It’s been a good, solid start to the season but we still feel like there are a lot of areas to work on. That in itself is really pleasing. This team can still improve and fans should be excited about what this group can achieve in the second half of the campaign.

“[In the next two years] we want to be in the top eight of the URC, challenging for the playoffs and in the European [Champions] Cup rather than the Challenge Cup. That’s where we would like Edinburgh to be.

“We’ve got a player group that wants to do well. They were disappointed when I arrived with their previous season and wanted to make amends and they’re certainly on track to do so. For me it’s really a no-brainer to stay on and continue with what I’ve put in place over the last five months.”

Everitt made his name in his homeland at the Sharks, spending 15 years with the Durban-based franchise and working his way through the system to become head coach.

Moving away from home to accept his first overseas post was a significant career development but he did so with the blessing of his family who have also sanctioned his choice to put down roots in the Scottish capital for another two years.

“For both parties it was ideal to sign a one-year deal initially,” he revealed. “I had to see how I would adjust away from home and if this was a club where I wanted to be. It [would have been] hard when you leave home and sign up for the long-term, three years, and then after six months you’re not enjoying what you’re doing. But it’s been the total opposite for me.

“Obviously I had to take my family into consideration. I’ve got two boys who are at home and won’t be joining us in Scotland. One is involved in rugby back home at the Sharks and the other one is in his final year to become a chartered accountant. So it’s not possible for them to move but they’re at an age now where they can be independent.

“My wife will stay in Durban until June and then she will come across and join me. [It comes down to] whether they buy into your decision or not. And they were really excited about me getting this opportunity to come to Edinburgh and experience something different.”

Everitt also credits the bond he has formed with his coaching staff and the players for making his transition to Scottish rugby a smooth one.

“From day one I’ve been made to feel very welcomed,” he added, dismissing any significance in the tweaking of his job title. “The players have responded very well and made it easy for me. My fellow coaching staff have been 100 percent supportive and behind me. That made my decision really easy to stay on.”