Timing is everything: Why Gavin Hunt initially rejected Stellenbosch FC's advances

In the wake of Steve Barker’s unexpected resignation, Gavin Hunt initially slammed the brakes on taking over as coach of Stellenbosch FC.

Rather than accepting the offer immediately, Hunt felt the Winelands club needed time for a careful, strategic transition following Barker’s departure. Hunt was also mindful that the technical staff at Stellenbosch FC found themselves equally blindsided by the turn of events.

As Stellenbosch grappled with the loss, the club needed clarity regarding its future direction and aspirations. Hunt, a seasoned coach with a wealth of experience, initially expressed concerns about the timing of the club's new direction.

“I believe football is always about timing, so Barker’s resignation was unexpected. With Steve leaving, they started interviewing coaches. Rob [Benadie, CEO] phoned me and asked, ‘Would you be interested in the job?’ I said no,” Hunt explained.

“It went from there, and the process started. Rob said he’ll get back to me, and that was it. The timing perspective was important because what happened there was very sudden; it happened so quickly. Sometimes a job is a timing thing, and you can’t really plan these things.”

Hunt, a four-time Premiership winner (three titles with SuperSport United and one with Bidvest Wits), is now ready to embark on a new era in his stellar coaching career.

“You don’t plan to move around a lot as a coach. Unfortunately, in my case, five or six clubs have been sold while I was there, and when that happens, you usually find yourself looking for a job,” said Hunt, who was born and raised in Cape Town.

“That’s just the reality of the business. I’ve had a lot of stability in my coaching career, except for the last three or four years, which have been a nightmare with me being up and down. But sometimes circumstances force that on you.”

When reconsidering the Stellenbosch offer, Hunt was impressed by the club’s professional infrastructure.

“If you look specifically at a club like Stellenbosch, you can see how advanced it is in terms of what surrounds the game. The technology, the data analysis, and the way players are scouted and evaluated have been a real eye-opener for me,” said Hunt.

“The game is moving very fast, even though the basics of football never change. Stellenbosch are very advanced in those areas, which is important for the future, as long as you don’t lose sight of hard work, determination, and organization.”

Hunt has always maintained a reputation as a relentless worker, and he is unlikely to change. As part of his preparation for the resumption of local football, he has spent hours reviewing videos of Stellenbosch’s recent performances.

“After watching a lot of the games, I know we need to be better at both ends of the pitch. Where we are right now, we need to defend better; it’s basic,” said Hunt.

“Recently, I’ve worked a lot on that side of the team, while also trying to improve our play as we advance. The simple concept is to stop conceding goals and start scoring them. We need to create more chances as well. It sounds simple, but it’s something we must improve quickly because we’ve got tough games coming up.”

Hunt makes his debut as Stellenbosch FC head coach on Tuesday when he leads the team against Eric Tinkler’s Sekhukhune United at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane.