Steve Tandy is still in the mix to be the new Wales head coach despite Scotland boss Gregor Townsend insisting his right-hand man is going nowhere. Tandy has been a contender throughout the process and is admired within the upper echelons of the Welsh Rugby Union. The 45-year-old is currently defence coach of Scotland, where he has done an impressive job for the past six years. Townsend was categoric on Tandy's future last week, insisting he is "going nowhere" and branding the links as simply media speculation. But despite Townsend's protestations, WalesOnline understands Tandy does remains a leading contender to succeed Warren Gatland , with senior figures impressed by his credentials and views on the game. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. The WRU's new director of rugby and elite performance Dave Reddin has put his own stamp on the search for a head coach and no decision has been made yet. But Tandy is in the mix, while Ireland's Simon Easterby and Glasgow's Franco Smith have also been heavily linked with the job. Tandy has plenty of experience having previously been head coach of the Ospreys while has has also been in charge of the defence at Australian Super Rugby outfit the Waratahs. After a few years at Scotland Tandy was included in Gatland's backroom team for the British & Irish Lions tour of South Africa in 2021. But there are also other candidates for the role, with the likes of Easterby and Smith boasting strong track records. A coaching team of Matt Sherratt, Danny Wilson, Leigh Halfpenny, Adam Jones and T. Rhys Thomas will take Wales to Japan this summer on an interim basis. But the WRU want a new coaching set-up in place for this November's international series where Wales take on Argentina, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here. Welsh rugby is in a bad place with the men's national side having lost a record 17 Test matches in succession. Whoever is appointed as head coach has a tough job on his hands dragging Wales out of the doldrums but it could also be viewed as an opportunity to get a proud rugby nation back on track. Work is being done behind the scenes to create a new structure for the professional game in Wales in the hope of creating a stronger national side. An announcement on the new head coach is expected in the near future.