 Although he was discarded as an All Black after 1973, Wyllie remained a prominent player for Canterbury until 1979.In 1982, Wyllie became coach of Canterbury and immediately enjoyed success when Canterbury won the Ranfurly Shield from Wellington and went on to hold the trophy for a record-equalling three years.Under his coaching, Canterbury won the National Provincial Championship (NPC) in 1983, and also recorded victories against international teams such as the British Lions in 1983 and the Wallabies in 1986.