Former Adelaide coach and current Sydney assistant Don Pyke has been appointed as West Coast's new chief executive officer, returning to the Eagles to succeed the outgoing Trevor Nisbett.
Nisebett announced his decision to step down from the role in September, with the Western Australian club sparking a search for his replacement ahead of the expiration of his contract, scheduled for October next year.
His departure is said to be brought forward, with the club confirming the announcement of Pyke's appointment on Thursday and his start date of January 15, 2024.
Pyke spoke on his pleasure to take on the role and make a return to the club he played for between 1989-1996, winning two premierships during his 132-game stint.
“I am excited to be returning home to a club I love in the West Coast Eagles where I have such wonderful memories and am proud and honoured to be given the responsibility to lead the club forward,” Pyke said in a club statement.
“This is a pivotal time for our Club, our people and our supporters to pursue excellence to attain success again. I am very much looking forward to working with everyone across the entire organisation as we build towards the 2024 season.”
His move back to WA will open up a senior assistant void at Sydney, where Pyke has been positioned since the end of the 2020 season.
The former Claremont premiership player and coach joined the Swans a year after his departure at Adelaide, where he coached across four seasons and led to the 2017 AFL Grand Final.
Before his tenure at West Lakes, Pyke was an assistant coach with West Coast under their current senior coach Adam Simpson for his first few seasons with the Eagles.
Pyke's return to West Coast comes after a horror past two seasons for the club, who have recorded five wins and 40 losses in that span.
