Ryan Harris has been appointed as the new men's head coach for South Australia, succeeding Jason Gillespie who left earlier this year.
Harris, who started his playing career with South Australia, had been serving as the interim head coach for the men's program over the past few months during the recruitment process and will now take on the role permanently as pre-season begins. The appointment for the Adelaide Strikers' BBL head coach, a position previously held by Gillespie, is yet to be determined, but it's likely the roles will be separated. Tim Paine has expressed interest in the Strikers' coaching role if this happens.
Expressing his excitement, Harris said he is thrilled and honoured to be appointed as the head coach of South Australia, where he began his first-class playing career over 20 years ago. He mentioned that working closely with the team last summer and during the current pre-season training has shown him the squad's potential, and he is eager to build on the positive developments from last year. With new captain Nathan McSweeney, there is a strong sense of self-belief among the players, and they are focused on starting the new season strong.
Last season, South Australia finished fifth in the Sheffield Shield after placing fourth in 2022-23, following five consecutive seasons at the bottom. They also ended up last in the Marsh Cup after reaching the final the previous season. There is a possibility of having more contributions from internationals Travis Head and Alex Carey early in the Sheffield Shield window in October.
Following his retirement, Harris transitioned to coaching, leading the Australia men's under-19 team at the 2018 and 2020 World Cups. He also coached in the IPL with Kings XI Punjab and Delhi Capitals and served as a consultant with the Australian men's team during Justin Langer's tenure. In 2021, he was appointed Queensland Cricket's pathway manager. Harris applied for the head coach position of Australia Women when Matthew Mott left and had a brief stint as the bowling coach on a tour of New Zealand in 2021 but was not selected. He then returned to South Australia as their bowling coach before being appointed head coach.