Ken Hinkley to be announced as inaugural Tasmania Devils coach

Former Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley will be formally unveiled as the inaugural coach of the Tasmania Devils this morning.It completes a year-long hunt for a senior coach for the AFL's newest club, that included strong interest from high-profile candidates John Longmire and Nathan Buckley.It is understood Hinkley will join the club on a five-year deal, that will take him through until the end of the 2031 season.The 59-year-old was whisked into Hobart yesterday morning for a final presentation to the Devils' coaching selection panel, which included chair Grant O'Brien, CEO Brendon Gale, football director Alastair Lynch and culture boss Lauren Jauncey.It was Jauncey who accompanied Hinkley into Hobart yesterday.Following a presentation to the panel at Hobart's Tasman Hotel yesterday afternoon, the decision to sign Hinkley was ratified by the board.The appointment is the most consequential in the Devils' short history, surpassing that of inaugural CEO Brendon Gale in 2024, with Hinkley now charged with building the Devils into an on-field force and acting as the club's public face and spokesperson.Tasmania had made no secret of securing a "people person" as its inaugural coach, with the JackJumpers NBL club's appointment of now championship-winning coach Scott Roth serving as inspiration.Tasmania Devils chief executive Brendon Gale was part of the Devils' coaching selection panel. (ABC News: Mackenzie Heard)On Friday, CEO Brendon Gale spoke of the successful candidate having a "real intrinsic motivation" to coach the club."The people we're speaking with have the ability, and the experience and a track record but this is a big job," he said."You've got to really want this job and be prepared to embrace all the challenges and opportunities that come with it."One of those challenges will be uniting Tasmania behind the Devils, whose popularity is strong but has been tarnished by at-times vicious debate over the construction of the estimated $1.13 billion Macquarie Point Stadium in Hobart.Hinkley will also be confronted by the task of galvanising the state's three regions behind the team, which is seen by some as Hobart centric.Former Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley coached the team across 12 seasons, but has never coached a team to the finals. (ABC News: Ben Pettitt)His coaching record will also be brought into sharper focus in the coming days, as the decision is analysed by the football public.Across 12 seasons at Port Adelaide, Hinkley coached 282 home and away matches, winning 116 and losing 114 at a record of 59.6 per cent.But in finals, that winning percentage dipped to just 40 per cent, with six wins coming from 15 appearances. Hinkley has never coached a team to a grand final.Fellow candidates John Longmire and Nathan Buckley — who had signalled his strong desire to coach the team more than 12 months ago — were informed yesterday they had been unsuccessful in their pursuit of the role.