Former Wallabies prop Nick Stiles has been appointed head coach of the Reds for the next two years.

Stiles and Matt O’Connor took over as interim coaches of the team following the mid-season sacking of Richard Graham. The Queensland Rugby Union decided to appoint Stiles ahead of O'Connor, following a recommendation by the QRU’s coach selection panel, which featured a number of former high-performance managers and coaches.

Reds captain James Slipper has backed Stiles.  

'Nick is a great coach and has a good rapport with the playing group. I’ve seen first-hand how he can get the best out of players and I know how much this team’s success means to him. The players are ready to get behind Nick and we look forward to 2017,' Slipper said.

The QRU confirmed that O’Connor has been released and the 45-year-old intends to pursue other head-coaching options.

'We’d like to thank Matt O’Connor for his contributions to the 2016 season. He stepped up in difficult circumstances and has contributed significantly to the programme. He is a fine coach and we wish him well for the future,' said QRU executive general manager Daniel Herbert.

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