MATT WILLIAMS is resigning as Ulster’s head coach for family reasons after 16 months in the job, despite having another year remaining on his contract. Williams had overseen a significant transformation in the province’s fortunes but with his family remaining in Sydney he has decided to return home.

Commenting on his departure last night, Williams said: “I have a young family in Sydney and upon my return to the province it has become clear I need to give them more of my time. I have enjoyed every day here in Ulster and am deeply sorry to leave in these circumstances.”

“I am delighted with the progress of the Ulster players. The team is still in the very early days of their development. They have won some excellent victories. There were outstanding performances in his year’s Heineken Cup and the win against Harlequins and the defeat of Munster at Thomond Park in the Magners League are the stand-out matches.

“We lost too many close games due to our inexperience. That will change with time. There needs to be patience and understanding that this team will grow into a powerful outfit in years to come. I am deeply disappointed I will not be there with them on the journey.”

Jeremy Davidson, already appointed assistant coach for next season, will be the early favourite to succeed Williams unless the Ulster Branch again look abroad.

Williams took the reins as head coach in early February last year, inheriting a team at the foot of the Magners League and in danger of missing out on qualification for the Heineken Cup after a run of just six wins in 25 games.

Judged purely on results, the improvements he wrought may not seem dramatic; his 33-game reign yielding 13 wins, one draw and 19 defeats. Nonetheless, under Williams, Ulster’s professionalism, set-up, porous defence and damaging ill-discipline improved significantly, and they gradually added to their running game too.

Having qualified without undue bother in ninth place last season, Ulster finished eighth in this season’s Magners League, but with seven more points and within one result of a top-five finish. The Australian had come under a little fire after Ulster lost six of their first seven games this season, before his methods began to make a difference, and the high point was that 37-11 dissection of Munster at Thomond Park on January 3rd.

Performances and results in the Heineken Cup also improved dramatically without obvious reward, Ulster beating eventual quarter-finalists Harlequins and almost beating Stade Francais in Paris, before they fell away a little on the Magners League run-in. His relationship with Ian Humphreys was strained, for although the brother of Ulster legend David was instrumental in the turnaround, his poor defence grated with Williams.

He leaves with Ulster in a better state than when he inherited them. Perhaps his biggest legacy will prove to be the progress many players made under his tutelage.

His departure may signal an end to his long association with Irish rugby. The former New South Wales Waratahs’ coach instigated a huge turnaround in the fortunes of Leinster, first as assistant coach to Mike Ruddock, and then as head coach for three years. Under his stewardship Leinster beat Munster to win the inaugural Celtic League final in 2001 and reached the Heineken Cup semi-finals in 2003.