CONNACHT ARE SET to sign young Irish coach Gerard Mullen to work as part of Stuart Lancaster’s coaching team ahead of next season.

Current senior assistant coach Rod Seib, who is involved on the attack side of the game, is leaving Connacht to join Leicester at the end of this campaign after just one year with the province.

It is expected that Mullen will join with a remit covering backs and skills, as well as working with Lancaster on the overall attack.

Mullen currently works as skills coach for Harlequins in the English Premiership, while he has also helped to lead the club’s second-string side in the PREM Rugby Cup.

Mullen has been with Harlequins since 2020, meaning he has previously worked closely with Connacht’s general manager of performance, Billy Millard, who joined the Irish province from the English club last summer.

Kildare man Mullen, who came through Clongowes Wood College, is a grandson of the late Karl Mullen, who played for Ireland 25 times and captained the 1950 Lions tour to Australia and New Zealand.

After playing age-grade rugby for Leinster, Gerard Mullen moved to England to study sports coaching science at St. Mary’s University in Twickenham.

He also played for Esher, London Scottish and London Welsh in the English Championship but was forced to retire at the age of 23 due to injuries.

Mullen subsequently went to Loughborough University to study a Master’s degree in Sports Management and began to rise through the coaching ranks at the university, becoming head coach of Loughborough’s first team in 2017.

In 2020, Mullen was appointed head coach of Harlequins’ women’s team and he led them to the Allianz Premier 15s title in his first season.

He moved into a role with Harlequins’ men’s academy in 2022 and then took on a position as attack and backs coach for London Scottish – a partner club to Quins – in the Championship for the 2023/24 season.

Quins promoted Mullen to the role of skills and transition coach with their senior professional team ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, with that job title refined to skills coach for the current season.

Mullen has also worked alongside fellow Quins assistant coach Matt Ferguson in taking charge of the club’s PREM Rugby Cup side.

He now looks set to continue his upward trajectory with a move back to Ireland to work with Lancaster’s Connacht next season.

Meanwhile, Connacht yesterday confirmed that 20-year-old loosehead prop Billy Bohan has signed a three-year senior contract with the province.

Academy player Bohan has enjoyed a major breakthrough this season, impressing in the number one shirt for Lancaster’s side and even being called into Andy Farrell’s wider Ireland squad during the Six Nations.

“The last six months have been a bit of a whirlwind for me, so I’m thrilled to sign my first pro contract with the club I love,” said Bohan.

“I want to thank Eric [Elwood] and all the academy staff for everything they’ve done for me during my two years in the academy, and to Stuart and the coaches for the trust they’ve placed in me and giving me an opportunity to impress.

“I’ll do everything I can to keep contributing to the squad and the province, both this season and into the future.”