Xavier Clarke's coaching future appears uncertain after missing out on the senior Richmond job on Friday.

The club announced that Adam Yze would succeed Damian Hardwick after the Tigers board ratified the appointment.

Richmond shortlisted the 39-year-old Clarke for the vacant position and went through the first-round interview.

But the coaching panel of club chief executive Brendon Gale, vice-president Henriette Rothschild, Tigers department general managers Tim Livingstone and Blair Hartley, and in addition to Melbourne Storm football manager Frank Ponissi and Football Australia performance director Paddy Steinfort, put a line through Clarke's name.

Clarke was only told he would not progress to the next round just days before ex-Melbourne star and respected assistant Yze held off caretaker coach Andrew McQualter to secure the position.

The internal position was Clarke's first interview to take charge of an AFL side.

The Larrakia and Amrreamo/Marritjavin man has spent the past seven seasons fully entrenched at Punt Road in an assorted number of development and assistant roles.

Clarke has not been the head of a coaching program since he was handpicked to lead the inaugural Northern Territory Thunder, winning the 2015 NEAFL premiership in his second year.

The outcome has ensured the VFL/AFL has gone 40 seasons since the last Indigenous man held the senior coaching role at a league club.

Noongar men Graham 'Polly' Farmer at Geelong and Barry Cable at North Melbourne have been the only two Aboriginal coaches in 127 years.

Yze, in the press conference, did say he was open to McQualter remaining on staff, but did not give any indication whether or not Clarke was invited to stay on.

Clarke, essentially, represented the Tigers former football program since arriving at the club in 2017, which opens up the possibility of moving north and working under Hardwick, who is contracted to coach Gold Coast for the next six seasons.