Noeline Taurua, the only coach to lead a New Zealand franchise to the trans-Tasman netball league title, has been appointed to take over at the Southern Steel.
Taurua, who missed out making the shortlist for the Silver Ferns position, succeeds the person who ended up getting the Test job, Janine Southby.
"It's really come out of the blue but opportunities like this don't come around too often," she said.
Taurua said she had always held the Steel and their predecessors, the Southern Sting, in high regard, "not just for their performances out on court but the professionalism of the whole franchise".
A former New Zealand international and ex-Silver Ferns assistant coach, she guided the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic to the ANZ Championship playoffs in each of her six years in charge.
In 2012, she took them all the way to the title.
She spent last season as assistant coach at the Northern Mystics.
Southern Steel chief executive Lana Winders said Taurua's vast experience would be invaluable.
"We have an incredibly talented team of players at the Steel, the core of which have been together now for a number of campaigns," Winders said.
"It will be exciting to see what emerges with an injection of new ideas."
The 2016 season begins in April.
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