Declan Kidney, assistant coach to Eddie O'Sullivan, could be offered the coaching job in Ulster if the province follows the "home grown" policy encouraged by the IRFU.
According to an Ulster official, they will first conduct a trawl of home coaches before looking abroad for a replacement for South African Alan Solomons, who departs for English side Northampton at the end of the season.
Ulster's initial step will be to appoint a coach from a group including Connacht's Michael Bradley; Irish under-21 coach and former Ulster centre, Mark McCall; Leinster assistant, Willy Anderson, and Kidney.
Kidney has been informed that his contract with the Irish squad will not be renewed at the end of the season.
If they fail to recruit any of the Irish men, Ulster will then seek to appoint an overseas candidate.
"The process to appoint a replacement for Solomons has already begun, and in line with the IRFU's policy of developing indigenous coaches, it will begin with an internal trawl of the current IRFU staff coaches," said Ulster chief executive Michael Reid last night.
Given that Kidney, due to his success at Irish under-19 level and with the Munster European Cup team, is at the top of the Irish coaching league, it is logical his expertise would be sought first. In the IRFU statement made on Monday chief executive Philip Browne said as much.
"Declan would, of course, always be considered for any front-line coaching role that might become available in Irish rugby and in which he was interested," said Browne.
Whether Kidney is interested, a move to Ulster by the former Munster coach would save the union money given that he is currently a union employee, although Reid says a salary has been allocated for an Ulster coach whether he is Irish or from abroad.
"With due respect to a coach like Leinster's Gary Ella, his CV would not be more glamorous than Willy's (Anderson) or Declan's (Kidney) or even Mark McCall's. But as we have said, firstly we will do a trawl in Ireland."
Rumoured interest by the Ulster management in former England and London Irish coach Dick Best was denied by Reid. "He hasn't been approached," said Reid. "But a number of foreign coaches have sent in their CVs to us. "
