Ash Wilson is set to continue as head coach of the Newcastle Jets' W-League team and plans to move swiftly to assemble her squad for the 2021-22 season.
Wilson was handed the Jets head coaching gig last season after five years serving as assistant to Craig Deans and on Wednesday the Jets will officially announce they have signed the 37-year-old high school teacher to another one-year deal.
"I'm obviously very honoured and proud to be given the opportunity," Wilson told the Newcastle Herald.
"I'm excited to have the club believe in me, to support me and to allow me to build on what we started last year. It's a club that I love and I've given a lot to it, so for them to continue to back me is something that I'm grateful for."
There have been calls for the W-League to be expanded to a full home-and-away competition but plans for the next campaign are yet to be announced.
Start dates have not been set either but Wilson said the club was being proactive in regards to recruitment planning.
"The club wants to see us do well and we're in talks with how we're going to go about recruitment," Wilson said.
"We've had conversations early and have started to put processes in place to look at the early recruitment and securing of certain players that we want.
"There are also some structures that are happening within the club that are going to support me further to be able to do what we potentially want to do."
The Herald understands co-captains Gema Simon and Cassidy Davis are close to re-signing and Wilson hinted she was searching for other more experienced players to bolster her roster.
The Jets finished last season eighth of nine teams after two wins, one draw and nine losses from 12 outings.
"The club knows my position around the priorities to try to get a couple more experienced players in the squad," Wilson said.
"I'm just hopeful that the situation with overseas competitions and our current COVID-19 situation doesn't put a bit of a dent in us looking and trying to secure certain people abroad. But it's definitely been a conversation within our planning phase."
Securing more firepower will also be a priority.
"When you look at some of our results last year, particularly in the early phase of the season, we were creating a lot of chances but weren't converting them," Wilson said.
"Those matches could've gone either way for us and unfortunately with the [short] length of the season, that almost broke us.
"My style is to try to play attacking football and I want to be able to secure players who are going to be effective in the front third. We've got a couple of people who do a great job up there and we just need to build and strengthen those areas."
Newcastle Jets executive chairman Shane Mattiske said the club was pleased to confirm Wilson's extended coaching tenure.
"The W-League is a valued part of our club and our community, and we see Ash as an important leader for the Jets and for our W-League team," Mattiske said.
