Fraser Brown admitted calling time on his playing career at the end of last season was a difficult decision, but the blow was cushioned by his new role with the Scotland Women squad.
Brown played 141 times for Glasgow during 11 years at Scotstoun, while he also won 61 caps for Scotland in a decade-long international career.
A knee injury suffered last summer meant he was sidelined for all of last season, with confirmation of his retirement coming in April.
Brown, 35, said retiring was a difficult decision, but the serious nature of his injury meant the decision was taken out of his hands.
Read more:
He said: "I've known I wanted to get into coaching for a while. Retiring is not easy, retiring injured is particularly difficult.
“I think the benefit for me was having such a long-term injury and probably knowing [about retirement] from quite a way out, I had a year to go and coach in different environments - with Glasgow in the Celtic Challenge, with Watsonians during Super Series. Having a serious long-term injury allowed me freedom to get more experience.
“It's not nice retiring - it was tough right at the start but the more I knew where I wanted to go post-playing it became exciting.
“It didn't turn into an 'end of the road' type thing, it was about how I can use this in what I want to do next."
Once that decision was made, he met with Scotland head coach Bryan Easson and was keen to get involved with the women’s team.
Brown revealed how the opportunity came about.
He added: "I spoke to Bryan and I think he went away on holiday for a couple of weeks, but it was pretty quick between speaking to him the first time and when I came in here. I didn't need that much time.
“When I spoke to Bryan, I met him for a coffee and we were both excited at the prospect of working together and the different perspective of what I could bring into this group.
“I was really excited about going straight into something and learn in a completely different environment. I spent 16 years in a male rugby environment and it is completely different.”
Brown said the experience he gained working with Glasgow Warriors’ inaugural women’s team during the Celtic Challenge earlier this year helped make his mind up.
He said: “Had I not had that experience with Glasgow, I don't know whether I would have been offered this opportunity or if I would've jumped in because it would have been the unknown.
“Having had that opportunity with Glasgow - and I loved that for the three or four months - as soon as I had the conversation [with Bryan] I knew I wanted to come in here.”
Only four weeks into his new job, Brown acknowledged it has been a steep learning curve.
“I had been a player for a long time I had done a bit of coaching, but you never really know what to expect when you come into a new environment.
“This is a bit different than what I have previously been used to, but the last couple of weeks have been brilliant.”
Brown’s first games in charge will be friendlies against Wales and Fiji next month as Scotland look to build towards WXV in South Africa and the Rugby World Cup next year.
He said: “This group of players have performed well over the last 18 months and now it is about continuing that growth and improving as a team.
“The individuals that are here need to keep improving and they are while obviously young players are coming in and we want them to get up to speed and feel comfortable here so they can keep pushing the standards of the squad.”
He’s only involved on a consultancy basis until the end of WXV – at least for the time being – but the former Glasgow and Scotland hooker would be keen on retaining the role long-term.
“That would be great for me if it was offered,” he said when asked about the prospect of retaining his current role beyond its current agreement.
“I don’t want to go into an environment for two or three months and then be out of it again. All we’ve been working on over the last couple of weeks is to build the squad of forwards, the squad of players, to allow them to perform at a World Cup next year.
“I would love to still be here in that role, but if not, all these things are there so that they can go and perform and continue to grow and improve on them over the next year and a half.”
As for his future coaching ambitions, the 35-year-old said he is open to all avenues.
“I’ve always been interested in pathways and contracting and academy systems and how to help bring through young talent,” he said, with the caveat “things change all the time.”
Brown added: “It’s a long time before I get to retire again, so I don’t know. If other opportunities come up in the future you would have to think about them, but at the minute I’m just really enjoying what I’m doing.”
Read the rules here