Crusaders assistant coach Mark Hammett will this week be named as the Hurricanes head coach for the Super 15 rugby competition next season.
The Press understands Hammett's appointment will be confirmed by the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU).
Hammett will take the reins from retiring coach Colin Cooper, who has been at the Hurricanes helm since 2003.
Hammett, 37, was the forwards coach under Robbie Deans in 2007 and 2008.
He then applied for the Crusaders top job, but was passed over in favour of Todd Blackadder.
The former All Black hooker played 81 matches for the Crusaders between 1996 and 2003.
Hammett has worked as assistant under Blackadder last season and this year.
Among those believed to have been seeking the Wellington-based franchise job, is current Canterbury coach Rob Penney.
The news comes after Hammett was involved in a public tug-of-war this week.
Melbourne Rebels head coach Rod Macqueen revealed the NZRU would not let the former All Black hooker break his contract, which does not expire until the end of 2011, so he could join the new Australian franchise as their forwards coach for next year's Super 15.
Although Hammett has been unavailable to the media this week, Macqueen was not so reticent and fired some shots at the NZRU for not granting the early release.
Chief executive Steve Tew defended the NZRU's stance, stating it had invested heavily in Hammett's coaching career, and then blasted Macqueen and the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) for attempting to plunder New Zealand coaching stocks.
Following last weekend's 41-20 humiliating defeat by the Queensland Reds, the last thing the Crusaders need ahead of tomorrow night's match against the Sharks at AMI Stadium is any off-field turmoil.
Blackadder yesterday maintained Hammett's thwarted defection to the Rebels had not sidetracked the Crusaders.
"These things are not great distractions ... I can assure you that within our team we have not really been discussing it," he said. "As coaches, we are just getting on and doing the job. We have got a game to win."
He said the saga had not been a hot topic at the Crusaders Rugby Park headquarters.
"We have not really openly discussed it as yet, because my focus is the Crusaders. We just need to find out exactly where the land lies, and we need to get this game out of the way, before we have these discussions."
When Tew learnt the Rebels were chasing Hammett's signature, he wasted no time in phoning his AR U counterpart, John O'Neill, who stated it had no knowledge of the Rebels' plans.
This week, Tew said the NZRU was keeping tabs on Hammett's career and noted he was "not stagnating in Christchurch" because he had been closely aligned with the Junior All Blacks. In the off-season, Hammett was sent to the United States for professional-development opportunities with an NFL franchise.
It is also likely the NZRU would be jumpy about allowing one of its coaches to be feeding information to the Australians ahead of next year's World Cup.
"We just want to keep him, he's one of ours and, frankly, the focus should really be on the lack of depth the Australians have got in their coaching ranks," Tew told Newstalk ZB.
"It is the second time they have come looking across the Tasman to try and find a coach for one of their teams.
"I think it's poor."
Crusaders chief executive Hamish Riach would not comment yesterday.