KEY POINTS:
The reappointment of Ruth Aitken as Silver Ferns coach for another four years has caused unrest among some of the country's top coaches.
Netball New Zealand announced over the weekend Aitken would remain as coach until 2012 following an internal and external review process by the board.
The
announcement seemingly came as a surprise, with many observers unaware the coaching position was being reviewed. The haste of the decision has miffed some aspiring Silver Ferns coaches who feel they have been shut out.
Southern Steel coach Robyn Broughton, who was widely tipped to be the next in line should Aitken have been unwanted, said she was disappointed the position wasn't up for contention.
"I was a bit surprised, we just watched the rugby go through it so I thought it would be a similar process with the netball," she said.
In the past the appointment of Silver Ferns coaches had always been opened up and Broughton said she was still in the dark as to what the coaching review process actually involved.
She believed the process should have been more transparent and Netball NZ should have taken the time to canvas other coaches and see "what was out there".
"I did think it was a wee bit unfair to be honest, because nobody has really been given an opportunity. I would have thought they would have come out and said they were reviewing the coaching role and given people time to consider and express an interest," she said.
"You just don't really know who is available unless you ask people to apply."
Netball NZ chief executive Raelene Castle said it was discussed at board level whether to take applications for the role but decided following the review that they could not look past Aitken.
She said Aitken's record since taking over the role in 2002 suggested she was the right woman to lead the team for their next Commonwealth Games and World Championships campaigns.
"As part of the review process we looked at the landscape and what other coaching talent was out there. But the reality of that was with Ruth's outstanding record and the feedback we had from other quarters, we strongly felt she was the right person to go forward."
There has also been some suggestion from other quarters that after six years with Aitken at the helm the Ferns are in need of a change in direction, particularly after a failed 2007 World Championship campaign.
But Aitken has firmly dismissed any notion that she will bring the same stale approach to the role.
"Obviously everyone's welcome to their opinion but I can assure them that we're looking at the very, very best way of going forward," Aitken said.
"I think there's never an absolute finite time for any coach. If you look at Gordon Tietjens - he's been around a fair while and seems to be able to keep turning out really quality teams - so I don't actually think it's the years you have in the job that's the issue, it's the fact that you keep learning."
Aitken also pointed out with Leigh Gibbs stepping down, the addition of a new assistant coach would also bring in fresh ideas to the management team.
Gibbs has chosen to focus on her role as coach development manager but will still play a key role in high performance and game development programmes.
"In a lot of other jobs if you've been there five or six years you've really gone in to the next level so I would really like to think we can take it up another level," said Aitken.