Pellow departure will be 'emotional day' for Exeter

Exeter are preparing for an "emotional day" as long-serving skills coach Ricky Pellow gets ready for his final game with the club.

The 47-year-old is standing down, having been part of the Chiefs coaching staff since 2009.

He helped the club win promotion to the Premiership in 2010 before going on to win two English titles and the 2020 European Champions Cup.

Pellow will take charge of the side for the Prem Rugby Cup tie with Bristol at Sandy Park on Saturday.

"I don't think anybody can [give] higher praise of him than I can really," said Baxter.

"Ricky came and actually had a couple of seasons at the club when I was still playing and then he became involved in our academy at the time I was starting to get involved with coaching, so he's been by my side pretty much through all my time as head coach at Exeter - he's been part of what we've tried to do as a senior side.

"So it will be a pretty emotional day for him and for me.

"It's going to be tough to see him go, but at the same time I completely understand why he's looking around and thinking about new challenges and new environments.

"We got promoted in the 2009-10 season, that's 16 years ago now. It's quite a chunk of your life, and he was already coaching before then.

"He's had a massive effect on a lot of young players, especially our homegrown players' careers and their lives, and it'll be a big change."

Baxter is aiming to name any new appointments to his coaching staff early next month.

Pellow is the fourth coach to leave Exeter in little more than a year as the club tries to return to its former glories after their worst-ever top flight campaign last season.

Defence coach Omar Mouneimne left in October 2024 while long-serving coaches Ali Hepher and Rob Hunter stepped back from their first team roles towards the end of last season.

Baxter says it is rare to have had so many long-serving coaches in the modern game.

"Have any other coaching teams in the Premiership stayed intact that long? Probably not," he added.

"So I don't know if there's such a thing as an end of an era in coaching any more, it's not something that happens very often.

"It'll be a shame, but Ricky will be great at whatever he does.

"He's got real energy, a real good way of working with players and one thing I'm pretty certain of is he'll end up in a good position, doing a good job wherever he goes."