Howard won 20 caps for Australia between 1993 and 1997

Howard is set to replace John Wells, who is leaving Welford Road at the end of the present campaign to take up a post with the Rugby Football Union.

But Howard, 31, is not planning a long stay and intends to pursue business interests down under.

"The club are aware of my motives for me leaving and that's fine," he said.

Howard, formerly the club's backline coach, believes that a smooth transition is important for the Tigers.

"At least we have some continuity and it's not a whole new team coming in and taking over, which was the other option, but would've taken too long to settle things in.

It's a great loss for Tigers and a great gain for England Pat Howard on John Wells

"This is a great club and there are some people here who could really help with the succession planning - hopefully I'll be one of them and I can ease that transferring over.

"It's a very nice thing for me to be asked to do. I'm very, very happy to take on the position."

Other changes to the backroom team at Leicester will see Neil Back taking on the role of techncial director and Richard Cokerill becoming assistant coach.

Howard paid tribute to his predecessor Wells, hailing him as "probably the outstanding coach around England at the moment.

"It's a great loss for Tigers and a great gain for England.

"If I was with the RFU I'd look to get him involved sooner rather than later and it would be great for him to be acknowledged at a higher level."

The former Australian international also said he was also unconvinced that Leicester captain Martin Johnson, who is retiring at the end of the season, would decide on an immediate move into coaching.

"I don't see the appeal as he's won everything in rugby - he'd be doing things he's done in the past.

"In the end, he's in a great position and he can sit back and make a decision when he wants.

"Being a coach, in my opinion, is a fairly narrow view of the things he could do, as he has so many other choices."