Gary Stead, renowned as New Zealand’s most successful cricket coach, has decided to step down at the end of this month, concluding a seven-year tenure marked by significant achievements. Under his leadership, the team secured a World Test Championship (WTC) title, reached three global limited-overs finals, and achieved a historic 3-0 Test series victory in India.
At 53, Stead had already relinquished his white-ball coaching duties and was contemplating his future with the Test side. New Zealand Cricket (NZC) seems poised to appoint one coach for all formats once Stead’s contract ends.
Taking over from Mike Hesson in 2018, Stead made a substantial impact on New Zealand cricket. He guided the team to the 2019 ODI World Cup final, narrowly losing on boundary countback. The 2021 WTC final victory over India was a standout moment, marking New Zealand’s first global title since 2000. Under his leadership, the team reached the 2021 T20 World Cup final and the 2025 Champions Trophy final, as well as the semi-finals in both the 2022 T20 World Cup and the 2023 ODI World Cup.
Reflecting on his time, Stead remarked, “There’s been some amazing memories over the past seven years based around a group of fantastic and talented people who have gone out to give their best for their country, each other and for the fans.”
Kane Williamson, one of New Zealand’s cricket stalwarts, praised Stead as “No one more hard-working and passionate about seeing the Blackcaps grow and succeed. 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 also expressed gratitude towards his family and New Zealand Cricket, acknowledging the sacrifices made by his wife Rachel and children Alex and Libby. “I am grateful to all those that have helped and supported me during my time,” Stead said. “I’d like to wish the new coach well and the team every success in the future.”
Looking forward, Stead plans to take a break before potentially exploring new coaching opportunities, either domestically or internationally, to share the insights he’s gathered over his 30-year career in professional sport.
