Bev Priestman: New Wellington Phoenix Women Coach on her appointment

An appointment sure to pique the interest of many New Zealand football followers.  

Olympic gold medal-winning coach Bev Priestman's penned a two-year deal to take charge of the Phoenix women's side. 

Priestman —who led the Canadian women's team to Olympic glory in 2021— has just finished serving a one-year ban from the game for her role in the Canadian team’s misuse of drones at last year’s Olympics. 

She told Mike Hosking that it’s a long suspension and not something she’s proud of, but in that time she’s had a chance to learn, reflect, and grow. 

Priestman says she can’t wait to get on the grass and do what she loves every day again. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Here is an irony the coach court spying on the
football ferns at the Paris Olympics. You remember that just
signed a two year deal to coach the Wellington Phoenix.
This is the former Canadian coach Bierb Priestman. She is
She was handed a one year band for her role
in the drone use over the New Zealand training session. Anyway,
Berb Priestsman is with us. Good morning, Might, very well
and doing congratulations on your new job. Did you always

(00:22):
think when it all went wrong that there would be,
in some way, shape or form a way back.

Speaker 2 (00:28):
I think you have to keep hope. I think, you know,
the first probably four or five months. My aunt is
probably know, but I think, you know, once I got
to New Zealand and sort of you could say, healed
a little bit. I think, you know, as much as
everything went down, I think also it was a big,
big moment for me and Mackaree of my family, for
my life. And yeah, I did think that be a

(00:51):
way back, but probably not for the first few months.

Speaker 1 (00:54):
Fantastic What were you thinking at the time.

Speaker 2 (00:58):
Yeah, I think, you know, I can't obviously speak to
the details legally, Unfortunately, I would like to be able
to speak to more. But I think regardless, I've had
a long time out of the game, and you know,
it's a long suspension and not something I'm proud of,
that's for sure. But in that time, you know, I've
had a chance to learn, reflect, grow, and to be

(01:20):
honest with you, I just can't wait to get on
the grass and do what I love every day again.

Speaker 1 (01:24):
Yeah, I don't blame you. What is it about coaches
just generally? I mean, drowing was unusual, but you know
how they put up those those the barriers at fences
and stuff so you can't spy. What literally do you
learn from watching somebody else trying well?

Speaker 2 (01:40):
I think you know you've hit the nail on the
head day. I think it's been common practice and it
doesn't necessarily make it it right. You know. That's what
I've had a chance to sort of reflect on. But
I think, you know, what I don't want to do
is also take away from the hard work that managers
and coaches do in terms of scouting opposition. You know,
you go back ten games, you do all of that work,

(02:01):
and if anything, it's like the icing on the cake.
It's not the actual work. But I think, you know,
things like injured players and they return and all those
sorts of things have been historically what coaches have done.
You only have to go on YouTube and say some
famous coaches talking about that. But yeah, because it's been
common practice, it definitely doesn't make it right and it

(02:22):
won't be something that, you know, for me moving forward
in my career, I'll certainly not be doing things like that.

Speaker 1 (02:27):
Did you approach the Phoenix or the Phoenix approach you?

Speaker 2 (02:32):
And the Phoenix approached me, you know at the close
of the season. Yeah, and those conversations were fantastic. You know,
I've been around the community and I've been at Paru
Park right the way from sort of January onwards, and
you know, yeah, I feel like I felt like a
local fan for the last sort of four or five
months and got a really good feel about the club.

(02:53):
I think the club is a community club who in
you know, in and around the community. And let's be real,
they've they've had a professional team here and news them
Ean when I was back in Wellington two thousand and eight,
I think two thousand and nine, I was a Phoenix game.
So yeah, it's nice to small football community that now
I'm back in New Zealand. It's been really nice to connect.

Speaker 1 (03:13):
With fantastic good Only baby will go well with the team.
I wish you the very best with it. Be a
Priestman Wellington Phoenix Women's head coach. Always should always be
a way back, shouldn't they? You can't punish people forever.
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