Ric Charlesworth has virtually ended hopes of ever coaching the Australian cricket team, tying himself to a long-term deal with hockey.
Coaching guru Charlesworth will head the Australian men’s hockey team into his 60s after agreeing a contract extension until after the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
A former WA Sheffield Shield cricketer as well as a four-time hockey Olympian as a player, 59-year-old Charlesworth had been mentioned as a possible coaching saviour for the struggling national cricket team.
But that all changed on Wednesday with Charlesworth agreeing to coach his all-conquering Kookaburras beyond an initial contract due to expire after next year’s London Olympics.
“If you did it (became Australian cricket coach), you’d want to be 20 years younger than me with the energy and enthusiasm to do it,” Charlesworth told AAP.
“To start again in a different sport, that would be very difficult. I don’t think it’s realistic.
“Cricket will make some adjustments to the way it manages its elite teams, and they’ll probably be appropriate and contemporary.
“But it’s a mile too far away from where I’m at.”
Charlesworth has used his managerial talents in other sports, spending a stint with New Zealand cricket as its high performance manager and another as consultant to AFL club Fremantle.
He has built a reputation as one of Australia’s most successful sporting coaches and managers – the cornerstone his amazing run with Australia’s women’s hockey team leading into the 2000 Olympics.
Since taking charge of Australian men’s hockey in 2008, he has turned the Kookaburras into arguably the country’s most successful national sporting team.
Under Charlesworth, they have regained their world No.1 ranking, won the past two Champions Trophies, a World Cup and gold at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
They go into the London Olympics as warm gold medal favourites.
Charlesworth has committed to standing down as Kookaburras coach after the 2014 Games in Glasgow, saying six years is enough of a tenure.
But he also believes there is a different job challenge for him beyond 2014 provided he still has the drive and hunger, citing Sir Alex Ferguson coaching Manchester United approaching his 70th birthday.
“I think eight years in this job is a long, long time and not many coaches have been able to sustain it for that long period of time,” he said.
“That would be a step too far. (2014) makes sense for where I’m at and the team’s at.”
Charlesworth will have his full Kookaburras squad training together in Perth next month for only the second time since last year’s Commonwealth Games.
Their next goal is October’s Oceania Cup tournament in Hobart.
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