Relegated National Premier Leagues SA club West Adelaide appoints Vas Parhas as coach
New West Adelaide coach Vas Parhas is undaunted by the task of leading the former NSL champion back to the SA top flight, two decades after supporting Hellas from the Hindmarsh terraces.
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VAS Parhas grew up cheering the likes of West Adelaide stars Robbie Hooker, Pablo Cardozo and Cyrille Ndongo-Keller from the Hindmarsh Stadium terraces in the 1990s.
So when he was offered the chance to lead the former National Soccer League champion back to the SA top flight in his first senior coaching job, he jumped at the opportunity.
“I’m very honoured to be taking on the West Adelaide role,” said Parhas, who was unveiled as Hellas mentor on the weekend.
“It’s a club that I grew up supporting as a young boy and I remember those great games at Hindmarsh pretty vividly.
“It’s a huge club with huge tradition and a rich history, so I’m very excited about the opportunity.
“The club’s ambitions align with my ambitions and they are very aspirational.
“It has a history of being a dominant club in the state, but obviously in recent years they haven’t performed to the level that they would’ve liked.
“There’s a challenge there that excites me and appeals to me.”
Parhas’ first task would be to inspire an immediate return to the NPL SA after West was relegated from the top-tier after a six-year stay this past season.
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The ex-Campbelltown City, Cumberland United and Adelaide City midfielder, who retired in 2016 after 335 first team games, spent two years as an assistant at the Red Devils.
He said working under title-winning boss Joe Mullen at the Newton-based club had shaped his man management style, communication skills and will to win.
Parhas, 38, said coaching within Football Federation SA’s National Training Centre this campaign had better prepared him to work with an exciting crop of youngsters at West.
“The goal for any State League (second tier) club ... is trying to get into that NPL as quickly as possible and then stay there and be dominant again,” the FFSA player life member said.
“I’ve played in the State League, so I’m fully aware of the quality that exists in it.
“It’s a strong coemption and it’s a difficult league to get out of.
“But I’m excited to be working with a young playing group and we’ll look to strengthen the squad as well.
“Achieving sustainable success takes a lot of hard work and requires collective effort and a lot of unity.”
“They’re some of the things that I’m big on and I’ll look to bring to the club.”
Parhas was looking forward to 11-time state champion Hellas moving into its new $6 million Kilburn home ground after a string of delays.