Breaking: Tiger’s Head Coach has announced today He’s leaving If nothing Is done about this…
Three-time Richmond premiership coach Damien Hardwick had initially planned to retire after the 2024 season, inspired by watching The Last Dance during the summer.
However, he recently came to the decision that his tenure at Punt Road had come to an end. This surprised the football community as he informed the Richmond Football Club board on Monday that he was stepping down as senior coach after 14 years, with 18 months left on his contract.
Hardwick took over from Terry Wallace in August 2009 and steered Richmond to its first premiership in 37 years in 2017, despite nearly losing his job a year earlier. His tenure saw the Tigers clinch three flags in four seasons, marking the most successful era in the club’s 138-year history.
Following premiership wins with Essendon in 2000 and Port Adelaide in 2004, Hardwick concludes his time at Richmond as the longest-serving coach in the club’s history, overseeing 307 matches.
Emotionally, Hardwick described how the idea first took root while he watched the famous ESPN series on Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls during the pre-season. The notion became clearer to him in recent weeks. “It became overwhelming. I reached a point where I decided I wouldn’t continue as the coach of Richmond next year,” he expressed.