McKellar will step back from the Brumbies for the international Test season and take on an assistant coaching role with the Wallabies.

When asked if after the announcement of his new role any Brumbies' players had asked for a Wallabies run, McKellar let out a laugh.

"Nah ... they're all ultimate professionals and there's no favours there unfortunately. They know they [have] got to play well, train well and Dave will pick the team that he thinks will do the job," he said.

Prop Scott Sio, who was left off Dave Rennie's list for a Wallabies camp in April, said he wanted to keep putting his best foot forward but was not expecting any favours from McKellar in his new role.

"At the end of the day ... making the Wallabies is just a reward for what you do here at the Brumbies," he said.

"If it's good enough, it's good enough. If it's not, that is what it is."

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The squad's reaction to the announcement of McKellar's new role, when they were told on Monday, has been described as the same excitement shown when a player is told they are about to debut for the club.

Sio has worked with McKellar since since his days playing for the Vikings in 2012 and said he had had the pleasure of seeing what he was going to become at the Brumbies.

"We were all like super proud kids, happy for our dad," he said.

"Credit to Dan he's worked so hard behind the scenes there making sure that, you know, we continue to be successful here and give us the best opportunity to express ourselves as players and it's just a good reward ... for a hard working, coach like him.

"A lot of commitment, commitment to excellence ... and he'll give 110 per cent no matter what."

McKellar has followed in his predecessor's Stephen Larkham's footsteps. However, Larkham left his post with the Brumbies and went full time with the national side before he was ousted in 2019.

The 44-year-old said he had discussed the move with Larkham for more than a year before pulling the trigger on the dual role. Talk has already begun on the Brumbies' coach as a succession Wallabies coach to Dave Rennie.

"It's nice of people to say that but I'm not interested in it, to be honest. This is professional sport it's ruthless, things can change really, really quickly," he said.