After eight seasons back in Durban, De Bruin moved to Johannesburg to become and head coach Johan Ackermann's assistant coach. The pair oversaw a complete turnaround in fortunes for the side; from relegation at the end of the 2012 Super Rugby season (they were replaced by the for 2013, the Lions not only won promotion back to the Super Rugby competition for 2014, but they achieved their highest points tally and number of wins since they competed in the tournament as the . In 2015, they improved even further, securing a record nine victories during the tournament and finishing in the top half of the log for the first time since 2001. In the 2016 Super Rugby season the Lions, under Ackerman and De Bruyn's guidance, topped the South African Conference and reached the final of the competition, which they lost to New Zealand side, the . 2017 saw even more success as the Lions topped the Super Rugby table and hosted the final, falling this time to the . After Ackermann accepted the head coaching job at English side Gloucester, de Bruin was named as his replacement from 2018 onwards.