The Newcastle Jets have appointed Gary van Egmond as head coach of the Hunter’s A-League club after he agreed to a two-year contract.
The Newcastle Jets have appointed Gary van Egmond as head coach of the Hunter’s A-League club after he agreed to a two-year contract.
Van Egmond, 46, topped a list of candidates from Australia and abroad who expressed interest in the position.
The appointment marks a return to the club where van Egmond first enjoyed A-League success. He was head coach at Newcastle from 2006-09, guiding the Jets to a grand final win in 2007-08 and being named A-League Coach of the Year.
As a player he made the first of 15 appearances for Australia in the 1988 Seoul Olympics and returned to Sydney to win an NSL championship with Marconi in 1993.
Van Egmond took his first step on the coaching ladder in 1998 with Northern Spirit’s youth team. He steered Manly-Warringah Dolphins to a State League title before joining Newcastle in 2001 as an assistant coach.
With the Jets winless after seven rounds of the 2006-07 season, van Egmond was promoted to replace Nick Theodorakopoulos, taking the side to the play-offs.
The following season, the Jets finished second and went on to defeat the Mariners 1-0 in the grand final.
Since 2009, he has worked in Canberra as AIS and Australian under-17 coach but has retained his family home at Lake Macquarie.
Jets chief executive Robbie Middleby was confident all Members, fans and corporate partners would welcome the appointment of van Egmond.
“We had a short-list of excellent applicants but in a purely objective process, Gary scored high in all the important criteria,” Middleby said.
“On behalf of the Club, Members and supporters, we welcome him back to Newcastle.”
Interim coach Craig Deans will occupy the coach’s seat for Sunday’s F3 derby against the Central Coast Mariners with the new coach to assume control at Monday’s recovery session.
Deans, who has performed exceptionally since taking on the interim role, will continue to work with the A-League team alongside van Egmond.
