New coach must reach high mark
‘ You look around the world, and a pro licence is a pre-requisite for being a national coach.’
FITTINGLY for this time of year, New Zealand Football boss Andy Martin is making a list.
He wants a new All Whites coach in place by March, in time for the next international window, and has ‘‘a dozen names’’ that have piqued his interest.
‘‘We’ve seen some people who we’ll never afford, some big names who are surprising,’’ Martin said.
‘‘We’ve seen a lot of young upand-coming coaches who have a pro licence who are looking for a break — some interesting names.’’
Martin and national technical director Andreas Heraf have whittled those names down to a dozen and asked recruitment agency Global Elite Sports to check them out.
They have also identified some people they want to talk to and have set the wheels in motion for that to happen.
The only pre-requisite NZ Football has made public is that the new coach must have a pro licence, the highest level of coaching qualification that exists, and one that very few local coaches have.
Martin has said it is too soon to say, but that pre-requisite means the next coach will likely come from abroad, and run into the same teething issues that the last coach, Anthony Hudson, did in getting up to speed with New Zealand’s unique footballing landscape, where resources – financial or otherwise – and matches are at a premium.
Defending the pro licence requirement, Martin made an argument that compared being licensed to coach a football team PHOTOSPORT with being licensed to drive a Formula One car. ‘‘You show me a sport where you have somebody who’s not qualified doing your top job,’’ he said.
‘‘Go to Formula One – there’s no drivers who haven’t got a Formula One licence.’’
As Martin sees it, having anything less than a pro licence means that a coach isn’t qualified to coach the All Whites, the world’s 121st-ranked team.
‘‘You don’t want me hiring someone who’s not qualified for the job. You look around the world, and a pro licence is a prerequisite for being a national coach.
‘‘That’s why we got Anthony [Hudson] in, and we’re not going to change that. It’s gone well with Anthony, we didn’t quite hit the final hurdle [qualifying for the World Cup], but he’s done a good job of professionalising us and taking us to a good place, and that’s got to be a minimum standard.’’
Hudson’s professionalisation of the All Whites came with a hefty price tag, as the programme cost about $9 million during his three years in charge.
The environment under Hudson has been described as of a Premier League standard, but that hasn’t translated into results – the All Whites have managed one win against non-Oceania opponents in the past three years – and there is a debate to be had as to whether it is necessary and sustainable, given NZF’s limited financial resources.
In Martin’s eyes, a standard has been set that must be maintained. ‘‘Let’s get the best we can. We know we can’t pay the money that England or Germany pay, but we can find a way to find a good candidate.’’