Coaching qualifications relaxed

The next All Whites coach will not need to have a pro coaching licence, opening the door to a wider range of local candidates.

New Zealand Football has begun the search for Fritz Schmid’s replacement in earnest, enlisting Global Elite Sports to conduct the recruitment process.

Schmid’s departure after 16 months in the role was announced on June 21 and NZ Football chief executive Andrew Pragnell signalled at the time that the pro licence requirement was likely to be removed.

A job description was posted online this week, confirming that while a pro licence is preferred, an A licence is all applicants are required to have.

Each of the last three All Whites coaches – Schmid, Anthony Hudson and Ricki Herbert – held pro licences, though Herbert only obtained his after taking on the role in 2005.

The pro licence requirement was introduced in 2014 and it effectively shut the door on local coaches, as the qualification is unobtainable in New Zealand.

NZ Football did not require a pro licence when it went looking for a Football Ferns coach last year, though it did end up appointing Tom Sermanni, who has one.

The change – though expected – is good news for former All Whites captain Danny Hay, who has declared his interest in the role and holds an A Licence. Des Buckingham, the other prominent New Zealand-based coach who has thrown his hat in the ring, holds a pro licence.

With applications closing on August 6, an appointment is likely to be made at some stage later that month or in September, well in advance of the November international window, where the All Whites have two fixtures scheduled.