 In their first season the Highlanders were coached by Gordon Hunter before he joined the All Blacks selection panel . Glen Ross took over in 1997 , and was not reappointed for the 1998 season . Tony Gilbert was appointed for the 1998 season , and again coached the team in 1999 before being appointed co @-@ coach for the All Blacks . Peter Sloane was appointed Gilbert 's successor for the 2000 season , and also coached them in 2001 before moving to coach the Blues . Laurie Mains returned to New Zealand from South Africa to replace Sloane for the 2002 season . Mains resigned following the 2003 season after a rift between him and senior players . Greg Cooper replaced Mains and coached the team from 2003 until 2007 , when he left the franchise to take up the assistant coaches position with the Blues . Glenn Moore coached the club from 2008 through until 2010 , when he was relieved of his duties after the club posted only 10 wins against 29 losses in his three years in charge . His replacement was former All Black flanker Jamie Joseph , who has been coach since the start of the 2011 season . In 2013 Tony Brown was appointed the job as attack coach after two seasons being the head coach of Otago and leading them to finals fixtures . 
