Interim All Whites coach Darren Bazeley has been given the job full-time and tasked with taking New Zealand to the 2026 World Cup.
NZ Football on Tuesday announced Bazeley's appointment as senior coach, doubling up as under-23 boss for the Paris Olympics campaign.
The 50-year-old Englishman has never led a senior international or professional club side. He has spent the last decade as an assistant coach or working with New Zealand's junior sides.
He was given the role in a caretaker capacity following the exit last year of previous head coach Danny Hay.
In that time, he's led New Zealand to a win and a draw against China, and a loss to Sweden.
New Zealand's most recent fixture was the scene of great controversy, with the All Whites abandoning their match against Qatar at halftime due to allegations of racism.
In those four fixtures, Bazeley has done enough to win over the governing body and agree a deal for the next three years.
"I’m excited to be named All Whites head coach and can’t wait to officially get started," he said in a statement.
“I have known and coached many of the players in this group for a long time so it will be a real privilege to continue on the journey with them."
The appointment ends a long search that began when Hay failed to take New Zealand to last year's World Cup in Qatar.
In June 2022, Hay's side lost a World Cup play-off to Costa Rica 1-0, although he kept the role through to October when his side played two friendlies with Australia.
Socceroos mentor Graham Arnold advocated for Hay's reappointment, but NZ Football released the 48-year-old former Leeds United and Perth Glory player and went without a coach for months.
In February, the governing body thought they secured the services of current Canada coach John Herdman.
But Herdman, who led the Canucks in Qatar, opted against the move, remaining with Canada through to their home World Cup in 2026.
NZ Football also turned down former Wellington Phoenix coach Ufuk Talay, who applied for a dual club-country role.
Ultimately, they opted for the incumbent, with chief executive Andrew Pragnell saying the governing body ran an "in-depth recruitment process".
"While the appointment process took longer than initially expected it allowed us to test Darren in the role, and he proved to all of us he was the right candidate," Pragnell said.
“Darren has consistently delivered at age-group level, received consistently positive feedback as the All Whites assistant head coach in previous campaigns and has stepped up seamlessly."
New Zealand are next in action in the Oceania Olympics qualifying tournament in Auckland next month.
