Rutten was axed as Bombers coach last month shortly after the club's clumsy bid to lure Alastair Clarkson failed.
Clarkson ended up joining North Melbourne on a five-year deal, with Rutten then being told the inevitable news by Essendon that his services were no longer wanted.
Richmond confirmed on Friday that Rutten has joined the Tigers' coaching department.
Rutten was an assistant at Richmond from 2015-18 and played a key part in the club's drought-breaking 2017 premiership as the defensive coach.
He joined Essendon as an assistant after that, before taking over as head coach from John Worsfold ahead of the 2021 season.
Rutten led Essendon to finals action in his first season in charge, but the Bombers bombed badly this year to finish a lowly 15th with a 7-15 record.
The 39-year-old now has the chance to resurrect his coaching career at Richmond, who missed the finals in 2021 and were eliminated by Brisbane at the first hurdle this year.
The Tigers were a force in the years before that with flags in 2017, 2019, and 2020.
"Richmond is a great club, and I am still very familiar with a majority of the playing list and staff which makes me excited about 2023 already," Rutten said in a statement.
"I am looking forward to this fresh opportunity and the challenge of helping the club return to the top of the ladder."
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