Wests Tigers will appoint a new head coach in 2013, but the future of former coach Tim Sheens remains unclear as he considers an opportunity to remain with the NRL club in a different capacity.

Tigers chairman David Trodden said the club would embark on a restructure of its football operations as a result of the side’s dismal showing in 2012, when it failed to make the finals despite being the preseason favourite to win the title.

Sheens appears to be the fall guy for the disappointing campaign, with Trodden admitting the coach who steered the Tigers to their only premiership title in 2005 was disappointed he would not be in charge for an 11th season at the club.

The club said it had only made the decision to go for a new coach following a board meeting on Tuesday afternoon, and therefore had not yet made an approach to any prospective coach.

Highly regarded Manly assistant Matt Parish had been considered the frontrunner for the role, while Melbourne assistant Kevin Walters and former St George Illawarra coach Nathan Brown have also been mentioned as possible candidates.

Trodden said the club would give Sheens – who has been heavily linked with the vacant Warriors role – all the time he needed to make a decision on whether to accept a new role at the club, likely to be in a coaching coordinator capacity.

“He was the coach of our first ever premiership winning team and for all of those reasons he will always have a special place in the history of our club,” Trodden said.

“The last ten days have been particularly difficult for everyone and the one thing which has shone through has been the dignified and professional manner in which Tim has conducted himself.

“We are very keen for Tim to continue with our club in a senior role as part of our restructure.”

Trodden said no timeframe had been placed on the search for a new head coach.