Tasman coach steps down
Davor Tavich’s tenure at Tasman United has come to an end.
Tavich has announced that he is stepping down as Tasman coach, a position he has held since February 2017, as he is temporarily returning to Croatia for family reasons.
The decision to step down following a relatively successful start to life as an ISPS Handa Premiership coach was not an easy one to make, especially as he ‘‘loved every minute’’ of the journey, but Tavich said it was in Tasman’s best interests as he would miss the entire preseason while overseas.
‘‘I definitely think the head coach should be here for the start of the preseason and being away for the first four weeks wouldn’t be fair on the players or the franchise,’’ he said.
‘‘Plus as a head coach you want to be there from the start to make sure everything is in place and that the players who come from out of town get what they need so the decision is that I will step down and they will advertise for a new coach.’’
His departure is a major blow for Tasman, who are already tasked with replacing assistant coach and star player Paul Ifill in the offseason.
Under Tavich’s guidance Tasman finished sixth place, ending the 2017-18 season with a respectable record of six wins, five draws and seven defeats. It was a solid improvement on their debut effort when Tavich’s late revival saw them only avoid the wooden spoon.
Tavich’s success ultimately earned him the job for the following campaign.
The search for Tavich’s replacement will begin this week.