Connacht assistant Colm Tucker has signed a new contract to remain at the province as part of Pete Wilkins' coaching team next season.
The Shannon clubman has agreed a three-year extension, and is the first member of the new head coach's backroom team to be confirmed, but further appointments will be needed with forwards coach Dewald Senekal and attack coach Mossy Lawler both set to leave.
Lawler will return to his native Munster in the summer, where he has been appointed skills coach, while Senekal is expected to be confirmed as the future head coach of French side Oyonnax.
Tucker has been involved with Connacht since 2015, working with a number of the province's underage sides, before being promoted to Andy Friend's senior coaching team in 2021, where he worked as defence coach.
The former Ireland U20 assistant switched roles in the summer of 2022 when he was appointed scrum and contact coach, and his reputation has been heightened by the province's impressive scrum this season, with Connacht ranking highest in the URC this season for ball retention on their put-in.
"When putting together our new coaching team, one of my first objectives was making sure Cullie remained a key part of it," head coach Pete Wilkins said.
"Our scrum has been one of the major strengths this season which is a credit to him and the players, and similarly our contact work and at the breakdown has been very strong too. I'm delighted he's chosen to remain at Connacht, give that continuity to the players, and build on the excellent foundations of the last two years."
