Richmond has officially announced Adem Yze as its new senior coach.
The Tigers have appointed the Melbourne assistant after the board “unanimously accepted the recommendation of the panel” that was put in place to find Damien Hardwick’s replacement.
The 46-year-old commenced his coaching journey at Hawthorn in 2012 and was an assistant to Alastair Clarkson when the Hawks won three premierships in a row (2013, 2014, 2015).
He returned to the Demons, where he played 271 games, in late 2020 and was again involved in a flag when Simon Goodwin’s side broke a long-standing drought in 2021.
Yze was up against interim coach Andrew McQualter as the final two candidates, but the Tigers opted to install him as the club’s 42nd V/AFL head coach.
“This is a Club steeped in history and blessed with a magnificent supporter base. I feel very humbled to have been given this opportunity,” Yze said, via richmondfc.com.au.
“I can’t wait to meet the playing group and start building towards the 2024 season.”
Richmond president John O’Rourke was thrilled to welcome Yze to Tigerland.
“This has been a period of significant change for our Club, but with that comes a great sense of excitement and opportunity. We have no doubt that Adem is the right man to lead us into the future,” O’Rourke said.
“Adem brings an enormous breadth of experience to the Club, having played key coaching roles during highly successful periods at both the Hawthorn and Melbourne football clubs.
“He has a deep understanding of the game and what drives on-field success from a strategic and cultural perspective.
“Adem has great energy and is highly competitive, and during the appointment process, it became increasingly obvious that he was a great fit for our Club. He was the ideal candidate, and we have no doubt our playing group will thrive under his coaching.”
Yze was a serious contender for the Essendon and GWS jobs in 2022, making it to the final two candidates for both roles which went to Brad Scott and former Tigers assistant Adam Kingsley respectively.
He will now oversee his own team during a period of change at Punt Road after the mid-season exit of three-time premiership coach Hardwick, plus the high-profile departures of key senior figures Trent Cotchin and Jack Riewoldt who recently retired.
Yze is the first former Demons player to coach the Tigers since Len Smith in 1964-65.