Waratahs coach Daryl Gibson quits after season from hell

The hits keep coming for Australian rugby with Waratahs coach Daryl Gibson pulling the pin just weeks after his top assistant walked away.

Waratahs coach Daryl Gibson walks away from seven seasons at the Tahs.

Daryl Gibson has quit as NSW Waratahs coach after one of the most tumultuous Super Rugby seasons in the franchise’s history.

The former All Black has opted against taking up the final year of his contract after a season marred by off-field dramas, including the Israel Folau saga.

The Waratahs failed to make the finals this season in Gibson’s fourth year in charge, after making the semis last year.

It ends a seven-season tenure at the Tahs for Gibson, who first joined the team as Michael Cheika’s assistant coach in 2013.

He took over the top job in 2015, when Cheika was promoted to coach the Wallabies.

It has been a bumpy ride ever since.

Under Gibson, the Waratahs have won just 28 of their 64 matches.

He still had a full season to run on his contract.

It comes at a difficult time for NSW, which just last month also said farewell to senior assistant Simon Cron, who has taken up a position in Japanese rugby.

According to reports Cron held desires to coach the Waratahs, but believed he would not get that opportunity while Gibson was still in the top job.

Assistant coaches Chris Whitaker and Steve Tandy the two senior members of the coaching staff left that are expected to put their hats in the ring for the head coaching position.

Gibson’s decision is expected to be confirmed at a press conference with NSW Rugby chief executive Andrew Hore on Friday afternoon in Sydney.

Gibson had one year remaining on his contract but has opted to walk away.

Gibson will leave the club after a season of lost opportunities and one sadly marred by a series of off-field controversies, chiefly Folau’s bitter fight with Rugby Australia.

After snapping the mighty Crusaders’ record 19-match winning streak in March, the Waratahs’ campaign hit the skids.

Folau became Super Rugby’s all-time leading try-scorer with his 60th five- pointer in a narrow round-eight loss to the Blues in Auckland in April. But that was the last game the dual international played after having his multi- million-dollar four-year contract torn up for his controversial social media posts.

Daryl Gibson may be linking up with Michael Cheika again.

Unable to replace his attacking prowess, the Waratahs struggled to find tries during the second half of the season, slumping from first in the Australian conference to third behind the Brumbies and Melbourne Rebels by season’s end.

To great frustration to Gibson and the team, the Tahs lost six games by eight points or less and three by three points or less.

In addition to the Folau firestorm, Gibson and the Waratahs had to contend with hooker Tolu Latu’s drink-driving drama.

Having just completed a six-match suspension, Latu was found asleep at the wheel of a moving car last month before registering a 0.135 blood alcohol reading.

Fined $1300 and suspended from driving for three months after pleading guilty to mid-range drink-driving, Latu this week was hit with a $5000 breach notice by Rugby Australia and banned for four matches.

Gibson has been linked to the vacant Wallabies attack coach role.