Melbourne Storm assistant coach Michael Maguire has been handed one of the biggest jobs in English rugby league after being appointed head coach at Wigan.

Maguire, 35, was named on Wednesday as the successor to former Great Britain boss Brian Noble, who left the club after Wigan's weekend defeat by St Helens in the semi-finals of the Super League play-offs.

Maguire, who will become the second youngest coach in Super League behind 34-year-old Hull KR boss Justin Morgan, will join Wigan next month and has been given a three-year contract.

He will be assisted by Shaun Wane, a former Wigan and Great Britain prop forward who steps up from his current role as senior academy coach at the Super League club.

Wigan chairman Ian Lenagan said: "Michael is one of the most highly-rated young coaches in the game who has learned under a master coach at Melbourne in Craig Bellamy."

Maguire, who will be Wigan's 11th coach in 11 years, will be tasked with restoring the club to the top of the English game, a position they have not enjoyed since the early nineties.

A former Canberra and Adelaide player, Maguire had his playing career cut short by a neck injury and, after a brief spell in teaching, had been at the Storm since 2005.

Brought to you by AAP © 2024 AAP