The retired champion five-eighth is the Brumbies' new head coach.

He will join Laurie Fisher - the director of rugby - in a tag-team role as the club chases a Super Rugby championship.

Larkham has spent most of his three-year coaching career as an on-field assistant, regularly relaying orders to the players as the game unfolds.

Despite taking on his first head coach role, Larkham is keen to stay on the sideline because that's where he feels he gets the best view of the game.

''Laurie is going to take charge of the forwards, I'll take charge of the backs and as a collective on game day we've had a really good combination,'' Larkham said.

''Laurie is up in the box and I'm on the sideline. We see different perspectives, we're communicating during the game and nothing is going to change there.

''The plan for me is to be on the sideline, I enjoy that role and I think the players appreciate it … you get the emotion.''

Larkham played more than 100 games for the Brumbies and the Wallabies.

He won a World Cup in 1999 and was part of the Brumbies' championship-winning teams in 2001 and 2004.

Many regard him as one of Australia's greatest playmakers.

He started at the Brumbies in 1996 and retired from Australian rugby in 2007.

Larkham then left Australia to finish his playing career in Japan before returning to start his coaching tenure in Canberra as an assistant in 2011.

''My coaching career has been relatively short … the first year [in 2011] was a real learning curve,'' Larkham said.

''I felt lucky to have a [Brumbies] contract in 1996 and I feel lucky to have the title now. The Brumbies are a big part of my history and they're my family. I've grown up in this culture.''