Bernard Jackman: Mike Prendergast the 'hot favourite' for Munster job

Bernard Jackman is backing Mike Prendergast to become Munster's next head coach after the province’s assistant confirmed he’s put his name forward for the job.

Prendergast signed a new contract as Munster’s attack coach last month, but remains in the hunt to be promoted to head coach, following the departure of Graham Rowntree in late October.

The former Munster scrum-half confirmed his name is "in the pot" of applications this week, adding that he will stay in his current position of attack coach even if he doesn’t get the role.

And Jackman, who previously worked with Prendergast at Grenoble between 2013 and 2017, says his former assistant is the ideal man for the job.

"I would say Mike is hot favourite at the moment," Jackman said on the RTÉ Rugby podcast, adding that it would take some of the biggest names in coaching to knock the Limerick native out of the running.

"I think it would have to be one of those super coaches, of which there is few and far between.

"I don't think Munster are going to get those names, particularly at this stage in a World Cup cycle, and I don't think they need it."

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Prendergast is yet to hold a head coach role in professional rugby, having spent the last 11 years working in assistant positions.

But Jackman believes that lack of experience can easily be bridged by the arrival of Chris Boyd, who is with the province as a performance consultant for the next few months.

The former Leinster and Ireland hooker said: "If Mike got the job, would he like to have the