Melbourne Vixens premiership coach Simone McKinnis to step down at season’s end

After 13 years in the job, Melbourne Vixens’ dual premiership coach Simone McKinnis has announced she will step down at season’s end.

Simone McKinnis declared it was “time to move on”, but the netball great remains unsure if she will coach again after her shock decision to step down as Melbourne Vixens coach at the end of the season.

The Vixens are now on the hunt for a new coach for next year after McKinnis’ bombshell post-match announcement that 2025 would be her last as head coach after 13 years in the role.

The former Diamonds star made the emotional announcement on court at John Cain Arena after the team’s loss to the Sunshine Coast Lightning a week after celebrating her 200th game as a national league coach.

A two-time premiership coach at the Vixens, McKinnis steered the team to the 2014 and 2020 titles; minor premierships in 2017, 2020 and 2022, while they were also runners-up in the 2022 and 2024 Super Netball grand finals.

The champion wing defence’s current contract expires at the end of this season.

Simone McKinnis has announced she will step down as head coach at the end of the season. Picture: Graham Denholm/Getty Images

While McKinnis said her passion for coaching and netball remained, she felt the time was right to move on.

“I’m grateful and feel privileged, and I feel happy and proud to be able to walk away at the end of the year and hand it over to somebody else to take the reins,” McKinnis said on court after the match.

“It’s a challenging decision but good grief, I’ve had 13 years - that’s a lot of years and I’ve loved every one of them, but it is time to move on.

“There’s lots of changes ahead for the club and for Netball Victoria, and it’s time for me to move on.

“So to give that clear space for the decisions that happened from here, it was important that I let everybody know.”

McKinnis said it had been her privilege to work with so many tremendously talented athletes.

“Seeing players that you’ve worked with go on to play for the Diamonds and play internationally but also to get to work with the amazing staff and the amazing elite leaders and athletes, just the people that you get to work with over the years (has been amazing),” she said.

“So I’ve had an amazing time.

“My commitment and focus remains on guiding the Vixens through the rest of the 2025 season and into finals.”

Captain Kate Moloney, who has been guided by McKinnis throughout her entire national league career, said she could not imagine life at the Vixens without the mentor.

But she told Fox Netball it had probably been a decision in the making for a while.

“She’s been an incredible coach for the Melbourne Vixens for 13 years and our club is where it is because of her,” Moloney said.

“And I know the team, but (also) myself, I wouldn’t be standing here, if it wasn’t for the amazing work of Simone McKinnis.

“So I just feel extremely privileged to have played under her for so long, and I hope we can finish off this season really strong for her.”

After 13 years, McKinnis said it was time to move on. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

McKinnis has coached the Vixens to two titles. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

Former Vixens leader and Aussie Diamonds captain Liz Watson, who played under McKinnis for a decade before joining the Sunshine Coast Lightning last season, said she had not known about her former mentor’s decision until after the match.

“Obviously she’s been a massive, massive part of my career right from the start in my Vixens days, but then also my Netball Victoria pathway days,” Watson told Fox Netball.

“So she’s going to be missed but she’s done so much for this club and probably can’t do any more, really.”

Netball Victoria chief executive Andrea Pearman paid tribute to the impact McKinnis has had in her time at the helm of the Melbourne Vixens.

“Simone is respected and greatly admired by everyone involved with the Vixens, particularly the players, and will forever be a part of the Vixens family,” Pearman said.

“While Simone’s focus for now is on lifting the team into another finals series and achieving more success, we will ensure that over the coming months we fittingly celebrate all she has achieved across the past 13 years.”

The Vixens said the mid-season announcement would allow Netball Victoria to undertake a thorough search for its next head coach.

Di Honey has served as McKinnis’ long-time assistant coach at the Vixens, while club legend and champion goaler Sharelle McMahon recently returned to the Vixens and Netball Victoria in a key off court role as head of high performance and pathway programs.

McMahon said when she took on the new role she had not closed the door on coaching, but was more focused on sporting administration.

Originally published as Melbourne Vixens premiership coach Simone McKinnis to step down at season’s end