Former BlackCaps head coach Gary Stead has officially rejoined New Zealand Cricket (NZC), taking on a new role as high-performance coach, the board announced on Friday. According to an NZC statement, his duties will focus on "supporting player and coach development, as well as high-performance programmes."
Gary Stead re-signs with New Zealand Cricket
This appointment comes less than four months after Stead stepped down as head coach of the New Zealand men’s team in June. His previous tenure, spanning from 2018 to 2025, was highly successful. During that time, he led the team to four major finals: the 2019 ODI World Cup, the 2021 T20 World Cup, and the 2025 Champions Trophy in limited-overs cricket. Most notably, he guided New Zealand to victory in the inaugural World Test Championship final (2019–2021), where they defeated India.
“New Zealand cricket’s very much been at my heart for the past 30 odd years and to be able to keep contributing to the game I love is really special. I’m still passionate about coaching and trying to help people learn and improve. If I can pass on some of my skills and experiences to the wider cricket network and in turn help the BLACKCAPS and WHITE FERNS win on the world stage – then that would be really satisfying," Stead said in a statement.
Meanwhile, New Zealand Cricket's chief high performance officer Daryl Gibson stated:
"Gary's knowledge and experience in cricket are considerable and the fact he's still passionate and motivated to give back to the game in this country speaks volumes about his character."
The high-performance coach role is a part-time position, which provides Stead with the flexibility to work outside of NZC. This arrangement means his new role will not interfere with his commitment as the appointed head coach of the Andhra team for the upcoming 2025-26 Ranji Trophy season. Stead will work with New Zealand player and coaches for approximately three days a week and will be free to function beyond the NZC.
“I’m also appreciative of the opportunity to work outside of NZC to broaden my skills and experiences and hopefully I can bring what I learn back into our cricket environment," Stead concluded.