It is a job so difficult that three men have failed at it in the last five years, namely Steve Komphela, Giovanni Solinas and most recently Ernst Middendorp.
While a club like Amakhosi will obviously have a flood of CVs reaching their offices, the task of picking the right man remains difficult, even if Hunt, with four Absa Premiership titles to his name, seems the obvious choice.
As things stand, Chiefs management can ill-afford to make another coaching blunder, meaning they can’t hire someone they’d have to fire in the next three to four months.
But they also have to have the patience with the new man.
Former Amakhosi player Junior Khanye who has been very critical Ernst Middendorp, has suggested the likes of Eric Tinkler and Calvin Johnson as the right fit.
Here we look at what any new Chiefs coach will have to bring to the table to achieve success.
Charisma – the new man has to hit if off with both the players and supporters. It has to be someone that will give off confidence and also convince the supporters that he can bring them the results they need. Benni McCarthy, whose name has also been bandied about for this vacancy, fits this description, as does Hunt. The only blot with McCarthy is that he is a former Orlando Pirates player and as petty as it sounds, that may not sit well with some Amakhosi supporters.
Familiarity with local football – there will be hardly time to settle for the new man as he will be working against the clock to being some bacon home to Naturena. This means he will have to hit the ground running, so it has to be someone who knows local football really well. Someone like Gavin Hunt comes to mind. As a free agent, after leaving Wits, Hunt, like McCarthy, is available immediately.
Tactical acumen – it has to be someone whose style of football is not rigid and can accomodate skilful players. The supporters need players who will stand out and be stars they can brag about. So, the coach has got to allow them to add their flair onto it. Eric Tinkler suits this one with the kind of football he has played at all the clubs he has been with. Hunt, for all the criticism of his style of play, has more than accommodated flair players in his sides over the years, from Daine Klate, to Sibusiso Vilakazi, to Elias Pelembe.
Attitude – it has to be someone with the right attitude. Someone who understands that while he has to build his own team and focus on the technical side of things, there are other demands that come with being an Amakhosi coach. A winning mentality is what the side need the most right now. Stuart Baxter fits this one, as does Hunt, who is a proven winner.
As you can see, there is one man who fits all the criteria – Gavin Hunt. And that seems like the man Kaizer Motaung is about to pick.
