The position of Indian men's hockey team coach has been subjected to a game of musical chairs. The latest casualty in this was Harendra Singh who was sent packing after India lost in the quarterfinal of last year's World Cup.
The crown of thorns now sits upon former Australian international Graham Reid, appointed as the national coach on April 8 by Hockey India. Australia has always been a preferred place for the Indian hockey fraternity to look for coaches. The likes of Ric Charlesworth and Michael Nobbs tried to turn the fortunes of the national side but weren't very successful.
So, let's take a look at the new Indian coach and his record – both as a player and coach. He comes in with more demands from administrators than expectations from fans. Does his past inspire confidence?
Reid – the player
Graham Reid belongs to a successful generation of Australian men's hockey. He played both as a midfielder and defender for his side in the 1980s and early 1990s. This makes him a contemporary of his predecessors Charlesworth and Nobbs.
Having represented his team in 130 internationals, the 54-year old has four Champions Trophy titles under his belt but the most coveted achievement has to be the silver medal he won with his national team at the Barcelona Olympics.
As the coach
The former Kookaburras player has enjoyed some success at the international level as a coach already. He joined the Australian team in 2009 as an assistant coach and worked under the legendary Ric Charlesworth.
His time in the sun came in 2012 when he was handed over the reins of the Australian team temporarily by the head coach for the Champions Trophy that year. The strategy worked and Kookaburras clinched the title at home. His stock has risen, the Queenslander got the top job after Charlesworth's departure in September 2014.
Reid had mixed results in this position. While his team clinched the 2015 World Hockey League and 2016 Champions Trophy titles, the performance at the Rio Olympics was a major setback with the Aussies finishing sixth. This was the end of Reid's coaching tenure with his nation's team.
Till this latest appointment, the Queenslander was the assistant coach with the Netherlands and saw the Dutch gaining considerable success. Managing the Indian side is going to be a much tougher challenge.
