Key and Back - who was tipped to come in to the club in Thursday's Yorkshire Post - will succeed former director of rugby Stuart Lancaster, who announced at the end of last season that he would be joining the RFU as their new head of elite player development.

Chief executive Gary Hetherington said: "We are delighted that Andy and Neil have agreed to join the club. It is the first time we have recruited our Director of Rugby from outside of the club since Phil Davies was appointed in 1996.

"Over the past 12 years, the club has changed remarkably and now the challenge for Andy and Neil is to take us forward to the next level.

"The first immediate aim is to return to the Guinness Premiership next season and both coaches will take charge of pre-season training on Monday to begin preparations for our National Division One campaign."

Leeds Carnegie chairman prof Simon Lee added: "Since the sports minister's announcement on Thursday that the UK Centre for Coaching Excellence has been awarded to our university, with the task of establishing the number one coaching system in the world by the 2016 Olympics, this is the first opportunity we have had to support that declaration of intent.

"By appointing Andy and Neil together, Leeds Carnegie is demonstrating the commitment of Leeds Rugby and our university to coaching with a difference.

"Andy and Neil will establish a coaching system that is all-encompassing and a style that is distinctive."

For more on this story read Saturday's Yorkshire Post.