(Reuters) - Central Coast Mariners have appointed former Australia women's team coach Alen Stajcic as their new head coach on a three-year deal, the A-League side announced on Thursday.
Stajcic took over as caretaker boss in March after the club sacked Mike Mulvey following an 8-2 league defeat by Wellington Phoenix.
"The Central Coast Mariners board are delighted to confirm the appointment of Alen Stajcic as head coach for the next three years," Mariners chairman Mike Charlesworth said in a statement https://www.ccmariners.com.au/news/alen-stajcic-commits-central-coast-mariners-until-2022.
"Alen boasts years of success as a coach and in his short period with us, he's made a strong and positive impression with his attention to detail, hard-working ethics and his drive and ambition to be successful."
Stajcic had enjoyed successful tenure with the Matildas, guiding them to the quarter-finals of the 2015 World Cup and the same stage at the Rio Olympics the following year.
He was fired in January by Football Federation Australia after a review of the team's culture and environment.
The 45-year-old managed two wins in his six games in charge Mariners.
"For us to become a successful club again, we need the support of the whole community and we need to show mental toughness and resilience to once again become the proud symbol of the Central Coast," Stajcic said.
"We all know it's been a tough few years and nostalgically we look back to the glory days, but we need to reflect on the past few years and think about how we can rebuild."
Mariners, A-League champions in 2007–08 and 2011–12, finished bottom of the 10-team competition this season with 13 points from 27 games.
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; editing by Amlan Chakraborty)