Friday USA Rugby officially posted the job opening for the Men’s National 15s team coach.

In a way, it’s a little funny because USA Rugby has been fielding job applications for the past six months, as coaches, mostly from overseas, were anticipating Eddie O’Sullivan not re-applying once his contract was up.

There are some US-based likely candidates, also. Here’s a list (you need to be a Premier Member to read this).

The many, many candidates will be reduced to a short list by USA Rugby CEO Nigel Melville, and then submitted to USA Rugby’s Board for final consideration.

No one is really sure what the Board thinks about the type of coach the Eagles need. RUGBYMag.com has been fairly vocal in supporting a US-based coach, one who knows who the players are. However, that doesn’t mean the Board is listening, or cares.

Melville was asked which way he thinks the wind is blowing, and said he didn’t know. Different scenarios are in play. Certainly it appears USA Rugby is looking to adjust the salary dichotomy within the national team coaching structure.

The Men’s 15s coach will still likely be the highest-paid job, but not by over 400% as it has been. In addition, the question of mentoring and developing USA-based elite-level coaches depends on who is hired.

“If the Board brings in someone overseas, we would probably continue to development of coaches in the US,” said Melville. The implication is, if a US coach is hired, he might populate his staff from all over.

Next on the horizon for any coach is what to do about scouting players. The National Collegiate All-Star Championships will change significantly in 2012. The men’s NASC doesn’t exist, but the Americas Rugby Championship will return – the question is, what can be created to bolster it.