Danny Hay will end his tenure as All Whites head coach when his contract ends on 31 October 2022. 

“I want to thank Danny for his time as All Whites head coach” says Andrew Pragnell, CEO of New Zealand Football. 

“There is no doubt he has played a key role in the development of the team during a challenging period for international football.

“While Danny was offered the opportunity to reapply for the position, we respect his decision not to put himself forward and wish him the best of luck with whatever he chooses to do next. 

“The plan now for New Zealand Football is to announce a new All Whites head coach as soon as possible once the recruitment process has been completed.”

The outcome follows the release of an independent campaign de-brief on the FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifying cycle. Hay was invited to reapply for the head coach position, as part of an open and competitive recruitment process for the 2026 World Cup campaign, but declined.

Following recommendations from the de-brief, the recruitment process for the next All Whites head coach will involve representatives from the playing group, the PFA, the NZF board, and the NZF High Performance and Player Welfare Committee, to ensure the best fit possible is identified.

The de-brief, conducted through face-to-face interviews with more than 40 people involved in the qualifying campaign (including more than two thirds of the playing group), was undertaken to help establish what went well and could be improved ahead of the next World Cup cycle. 

While the de-brief found the team was as well prepared as possible for the FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifying campaign, there were a number of recommendations that needed to be addressed ahead of future activity. 

“A key priority for NZF is making sure we plan and resource sufficiently for the next four years, giving the All Whites the best possible chance of success at the FIFA World Cup in 2026 and in our 2024 Olympic campaign” said Pragnell. 

“One area the campaign de-brief highlighted was the lack of alignment between the All Whites staff and New Zealand Football’s high performance department - so that will be a major focus.

“It’s critical the All Whites are fully integrated with the organisation if they’re to produce the best possible results on the international stage.”

Pragnell reiterated New Zealand Football’s commitment towards the All Whites, confirming they would play in every possible window after this year’s FIFA World Cup, giving them much more time together than the previous Covid-19 disrupted cycle to continue their development. 

Recommendations outlined in the de-brief include:

• Significantly reviewing the way the All Whites team staff work with New Zealand Football’s high performance department to ensure there is a collaborative, planned approach moving forward

• The need for proactive investment in coach development at All Whites level 

• Examining possible ways to introduce greater professional football expertise within NZF, including potentially adding high profile former All Whites to the High Performance and Player Welfare Committee 

• Suggestions in relation to how the role of GM of High Performance could be filled

• The need for the communication style of the coaching group (led by the head coach) to evolve to meet the needs of a wide range of players from a cross-section of backgrounds

• Placing a greater focus on creating a strong culture of transparency and honesty, including ways to improve the scope for player feedback and collaboration (such as the establishment of a more formalised leadership group) 

• Ensuring that the team rituals become part of the DNA of the All Whites and that they are passed down from generation to generation; and 

• Having the team play as often as possible (ideally in every FIFA window), setting a plan in place to target higher quality opposition and to have the team play in New Zealand more often. 

The executive summary of the de-brief can be read here. 

Article added: Wednesday 12 October 2022