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New Coaching Team taking shape
Hugh Barrow11 Jun - 12:48
Fin Gillies returns to Glasgow Hawks in assistant coach role
Offside Line David Barnes reports
Fin Gillies (left) will return to Glasgow Hawks as assistant to head coach Phil Smith (right) next season.
Fin Gillies (left) will return to Glasgow Hawks as assistant to head coach Phil Smith (right) next season.
GLASGOW HAWKS have bolstered their coaching line-up for next season by recruiting the highly experienced and respected Fin Gillies as their new forwards coach, working under head coach Phil Smith.
The 37-year-old played hooker with Glasgow Warriors before cutting his teeth in coaching when he took over at Glasgow Hawks in his late twenties. He was an assistant coach at Heriot’s under Smith, Andrew Kelly and Ben Cairns during Super6, then moved to Watsonians as Davey Wilson‘s No 2 for the last two Premiership seasons.
His day job is as Head of Rugby at the High School of Glasgow, working closely with Smith, who is director of PE and Sport at the Old Anniesland institution.
“It does feel like a bit of a homecoming after an almost seven year sabbatical through in Edinburgh with Herriot’s and then Watsonians, which I’ve thoroughly enjoyed,” said Gillies. “But with a change of family circumstance – we have our second child coming – it’s time to get back west to make life a bit easier because I live in Kirkintilloch.
“I’ve known Phil a long time. He was my first academy manager, so from probably about the age of 14 he has had some sort of influence on my rugby career. I worked under him at Heriot;’s in the first year of Super6 and we obviously work together every day at the High School of Glasgow, so we both know what we are getting into, and what to expect from each other.”
Gillies is taking over the forwards coach job from fellow former pro Adam Ashe, while current Glasgow Warriors prop Murphy Walker will continue to oversee the scrum.
“Hawks gave me my first coaching opportunity when I came out of the pro game, so I’ll always hold them dear for that, and there’s still a lot of the same people involved who were there my first time around so that’s reassuring to see,” continued Gillies.
“In terms of goals, for the last five or six years I’ve been at clubs competing at the top of the table and looking to win championships in whatever league they were in, so I would like to help instil something like that at Glasgow Hawks. I think everyone at the club feels that they underperformed last season with the squad they had, but they weren’t far away from being much higher up the table, so it is about sharpening up in a few key areas.”
Kenny Hamilton, President of Glasgow Hawks President, added: “We are delighted to have Fin Gillies back with us again. As a former player and coach, he knows the club, our values, and carries on our tradition of offering the best high-performance coaching environment in the west.
“Hawks’ aim has always been to help our young players be the best they can be, reach their potential, and plot a route to success. Whether that be Scotland international recognition, Glasgow District level, securing professional contracts with Glasgow Warriors, and other senior clubs or just to enjoy playing top-level Premiership rugby.
‘Glasgow Hawks continue to offer a clear pathway to all of these, and we are excited to see Phil Smith and Fin Gillies head up our coaching team this year. We can’t wait for the new season to start.”
Fin Gillies (left) will return to Glasgow Hawks as assistant to head coach Phil Smith (right) next season.
Fin Gillies (left) will return to Glasgow Hawks as assistant to head coach Phil Smith (right) next season.
GLASGOW HAWKS have bolstered their coaching line-up for next season by recruiting the highly experienced and respected Fin Gillies as their new forwards coach, working under head coach Phil Smith.
The 37-year-old played hooker with Glasgow Warriors before cutting his teeth in coaching when he took over at Glasgow Hawks in his late twenties. He was an assistant coach at Heriot’s under Smith, Andrew Kelly and Ben Cairns during Super6, then moved to Watsonians as Davey Wilson‘s No 2 for the last two Premiership seasons.
His day job is as Head of Rugby at the High School of Glasgow, working closely with Smith, who is director of PE and Sport at the Old Anniesland institution.
“It does feel like a bit of a homecoming after an almost seven year sabbatical through in Edinburgh with Herriot’s and then Watsonians, which I’ve thoroughly enjoyed,” said Gillies. “But with a change of family circumstance – we have our second child coming – it’s time to get back west to make life a bit easier because I live in Kirkintilloch.
“I’ve known Phil a long time. He was my first academy manager, so from probably about the age of 14 he has had some sort of influence on my rugby career. I worked under him at Heriot;’s in the first year of Super6 and we obviously work together every day at the High School of Glasgow, so we both know what we are getting into, and what to expect from each other.”
Gillies is taking over the forwards coach job from fellow former pro Adam Ashe, while current Glasgow Warriors prop Murphy Walker will continue to oversee the scrum.
“Hawks gave me my first coaching opportunity when I came out of the pro game, so I’ll always hold them dear for that, and there’s still a lot of the same people involved who were there my first time around so that’s reassuring to see,” continued Gillies.
“In terms of goals, for the last five or six years I’ve been at clubs competing at the top of the table and looking to win championships in whatever league they were in, so I would like to help instil something like that at Glasgow Hawks. I think everyone at the club feels that they underperformed last season with the squad they had, but they weren’t far away from being much higher up the table, so it is about sharpening up in a few key areas.”
Kenny Hamilton, President of Glasgow Hawks President, added: “We are delighted to have Fin Gillies back with us again. As a former player and coach, he knows the club, our values, and carries on our tradition of offering the best high-performance coaching environment in the west.
“Hawks’ aim has always been to help our young players be the best they can be, reach their potential, and plot a route to success. Whether that be Scotland international recognition, Glasgow District level, securing professional contracts with Glasgow Warriors, and other senior clubs or just to enjoy playing top-level Premiership rugby.
‘Glasgow Hawks continue to offer a clear pathway to all of these, and we are excited to see Phil Smith and Fin Gillies head up our coaching team this year. We can’t wait for the new season to start.”
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