Gerard Mullen Appointed As Connacht’s New Backs Coach

Connacht Rugby has announced the appointment of Gerard Mullen as the province’s new senior Men’s backs coach ahead of the 2026/27 season.

The Kildare native joins Connacht from Harlequins, where he has spent the last six years as a key figure within their coaching set-up.

Mullen first made his mark at Harlequins in 2021 when, as head coach of their Women’s team, he led them to an Allianz Premier 15s title in his debut season.

He then moved to the lead attack and backs coachposition in the Harlequins Academy and Transition space, before joining the club’s senior Men’s coaching team in 2023.

Prior to his move to London, he spent six years at Loughborough University, where he was credited with the development of several future international stars.

Mullen replaces Connacht’s outgoing attack coach Rod Seib, who will leave the province for a new opportunity overseas at the end of the current campaign.

Speaking about his move to Galway, Mullen said:

Connacht is a club I’ve always admired. You can clearly see from the outside, there’s a real sense of togetherness between the team, the staff, and the community here in the west – that makes it special, and I can’t wait to have the opportunity to experience this first-hand.

“The club is in a great position right now. Exciting squad, staff, new facilities, and I can’t wait to roll my sleeves up and give everything I have to help Connacht keep moving forward.

“I’m coming in hungry, ready to work extremely hard, and do everything I can to contribute positively to the environment, and the team.”

Connacht head coach Stuart Lancaster commented:

We are delighted to welcome Gerard to join our team for next season. I am certain he will bring a huge amount of quality and enthusiasm to the role.

“In what was a really competitive interview process, he proved his ability to show great alignment with the vision we have for the team moving forward.

“He has a great balance of knowledge of the Irish system and also broad experiences outside of Ireland, which I am sure will benefit all the players in our squad next season.”