The West Coast great is considered the leading candidate for the Eagles coaching position, but it seems he prefers to remain where he is.
A prominent journalist in Perth has called on Dean Cox to clarify whether he is interested in the West Coast Eagles coaching position. However, Melbourne great David Schwarz holds a different view. Cox is considered the leading candidate for the Eagles’ next head coach, yet recent reports suggest he intends to remain with the Sydney Swans and eventually succeed John Longmire.
Cox, a legend with the Eagles and a key player in their 2006 premiership win, has been part of the Swans’ coaching staff since 2017. On Monday night, journalist Tom Morris revealed that Cox envisions himself as the future head coach of the Swans, not the Eagles.
On Tuesday, Longmire stated that Cox is dedicated to helping the Swans succeed in 2024, with Cox not yet indicating his future plans. This uncertainty prompted Tim Gossage to urge Cox to publicly clarify his stance on the Eagles’ coaching position.
“I think Dean Cox has a role to play in the next 24 to 48 hours, a significant part of the footy landscape going forward,” Gossage said on SEN radio in Perth on Tuesday. “Dean Cox must come out and make a comment about his coaching future now.”
“There is no written contract between Sydney and Dean Cox, nor between John Longmire and Dean Cox. There is only an expectation that they want Dean Cox to stay. Regardless of whether John Longmire continues coaching past 2025 or for another three years, they still want Dean Cox to be the next head coach.
“The responsibility now lies with Dean Cox to decide whether to remain as second in command and turn down other opportunities, such as West Coast. If Dean Cox is determined to stay in his role as senior assistant at Sydney, he should make a public statement now to end all the speculation for himself, for Sydney, for Sydney fans, for the Eagles, and for the Eagles fans. I believe Dean holds the power in this situation. The longer he remains silent, the more speculation will arise.”
David Schwarz disagrees on what Dean Cox should do
According to Schwarz, a declaration from Cox could destabilize the Swans for the rest of the season. Schwarz believes Cox will be coaching the Eagles in 2025, and publicly stating his intention to leave could damage the trust he has with Swans players.
“I think it would be disrespectful for Dean Cox to immediately reveal his intentions,” Schwarz said. “There’s no doubt his management is talking to the right people behind the scenes, and while they’re in the middle of a finals campaign, I believe Dean Cox has too much class to say, ‘Yes, I’m interested in the Eagles job,’ until his current role with Sydney is complete.
“However, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s already indicated his interest behind the scenes if a job becomes available. If he was staying at Sydney, I think that would have been announced by now.
“He needs to keep his plans private and handle things discreetly because he’s an honorable person. He won’t undermine Sydney’s chances of making it to the grand final and potentially winning it. He’ll wait until the time is right to make any announcements.”
“He’d be discussing this with ‘Horse’ (Longmire) and the Sydney hierarchy. They don’t need anything that might ruffle feathers. The last thing you want is someone in the locker room who everyone knows is leaving. It affects trust within the group, and only bad things can come from that.
“If they handle things privately and decide to announce any decisions after Sydney’s campaign is over, that’s fine. They’re not being disrespectful to a club Cox has been with for over a decade.
“Sydney isn’t going to jeopardize their finals campaign just to announce Dean Cox’s plans a few weeks early. It could derail the team because there are players who trust and rely on Cox daily. I wouldn’t upset the applecart, and I don’t think Sydney would either. They’re too professional and smart, and they’ll handle it appropriately.”
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