Gary Stead to Step Down as New Zealand Head Coach After Seven-Year Tenure

New Zealand men’s cricket coach Gary Stead will depart his post at the end of June, concluding a successful seven-year tenure marked by historic milestones and consistent global competitiveness across formats.

The 53-year-old had already stepped aside from white-ball duties and will now fully exit his role after New Zealand Cricket opted to unify the coaching position across all formats, effectively ruling out a Test-only option.

Stead’s era saw New Zealand rise globally, highlighted by their triumph in the inaugural ICC World Test Championship in 2021. Under his leadership, the Black Caps also reached the finals of the 2019 Cricket World Cup, the 2021 T20 World Cup, and the upcoming 2025 Champions Trophy. His squad topped both Test and ODI world rankings at different stages and recorded a memorable 3-0 Test series sweep of India on their home turf.

Reflecting on his journey, an emotional Stead expressed pride in the team’s achievements and resilience.

“There’s been some amazing memories over the past seven years based around a group of fantastic and talented people,” Stead said. “It’s been nice to be competitive across all three formats... I’d like to think that regardless of results, the opposition know the BLACKCAPS are a team that won’t fold.”

Stead credited his predecessors, Brendon McCullum and Mike Hesson for establishing a strong foundation and emphasized New Zealand’s ability to punch above its weight despite limited resources.

Skipper Kane Williamson paid tribute to Stead’s dedication and legacy.

“Steady gave absolutely everything to the team,” said Williamson. “He was always thorough in his planning and preparation and will go down as one of our best coaches, but an even better bloke.”

Stead’s final duty with the Black Caps will be participating in winter training camps as the team prepares for their upcoming tour of Zimbabwe in July and August. Though stepping away from the national team, Stead confirmed his intent to remain active in coaching.

“I still have the coaching bug,” he shared. “I’ll look to explore opportunities at home and abroad where I can share what I’ve learned from my 30 years of professional sport.”

New Zealand Cricket will announce a new head coach ahead of the team’s next international commitments.