Baxter back coaching Exeter Chiefs

Coaches benched after crushing defeat

Exeter Chiefs are changing things up after poor results, with boss Rob Baxter getting more involved in coaching again.

The club says there's a disconnect between the players and coaches and they need to get back to working together.

Chairman Tony Rowe believes Baxter, who led the team to their biggest successes before, can fix this.

Exeter suffered a record premiership defeat to Glocester (79-17) on Sunday April 27, 2025.  

This 62-point loss was Exeter's heaviest ever defeat in the top flight of English rugby. Gloucester ran in an incredible 13 tries during the match. 

Baxter will now have a bigger role in training and on match days. The club is also looking at the whole coaching team for next season.

Last time he was in charge, he guided the Cheigs from the Championship to Premiership champions and European Cup winners.

Tony Rowe said: “This is about more than just responding to results,” Rowe added. “It’s about re-establishing who we are and where we’re going. We’ve faced challenges before and each time we’ve come back stronger. With Rob playing a more active coaching role again, we are confident this is the first step in writing the next successful chapter of the Exeter Chiefs story.