Reds coach Richard Graham gets the boot

The Queensland Rugby Union said it would begin a "worldwide process" to appoint a head coach for the 2017 Super Rugby season.

It is likely that this will take between three to four months, it added, with O’Connor and Stiles invited to be part of the process.

Stiles has been the Reds’ forwards coach since 2014, while O’Connor joined the club as attack coach at the start of this season after spending the last seven years coaching in Europe, most recently at Leinster.

"I’d like to thank Richard for his contribution over the past number of years," QRU chairman Damien Frawley said of Graham, who was in charge for the past three seasons.

"Richard is a proud Queenslander who has spent his life in rugby and while he hasn’t achieved the success we all would have wished for during his time as head coach, he leaves with our gratitude for his service to the game."

The QRU's announcement follows their re-appointment of Graham following a high-performance review in the middle of last year.

Under Graham, the Reds won just nine out of 34 matches. This season they recruited Japanese World Cup star Ayumu Goromaru, but he has had limited impact with two losses so far, including a 22-6 drubbing by Western Force on Saturday.