Valentine have begun the search for a head coach and technical director after Adam Hughes informed the club he was leaving at the end of the NPL men's season.
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Hughes is set to lead Maitland's NPL program next year. ACM understands Magpies players were told last Thursday that Hughes would be their head coach for 2025.
Maitland told coach Michael Bolch on June 7 that his contract would not be renewed beyond this year, ending a seven-season stint which has featured two premierships and three grand final appearances. It's believed Maitland asked Bolch to take on a football director's job on top of his coaching role but he was unable.
Hughes, who lives a 10-minute drive from Maitland's home ground, Cooks Square Park, is the coach and technical director at Valentine and has long been a target for the Magpies.
The former A-League player, who is 42 next month, has been coach at Phoenix since taking over from Darren Sills early in the 2020 campaign.
Valentine president Paul Gaden confirmed the search for Hughes' replacement had started and he was confident the club was in a solid position to fill the two vacancies.
"I've worked closely with Adam for a really long time, so as a club we are particularly grateful to him for the time, effort, blood, sweat and tears he has put in to building up our club to the really strong position it's in today," Gaden said.
"We are doing pretty well on the field, as well as off it. We've got a great club culture, a strong committee and financial position, and Hughesy has been a valuable part of the team that has achieved that. It's definitely sad to see him go because of the partnership we have built."
Gaden said Hughes had done a remarkable job considering the challengers he faced through COVID and the club's issues with their ground before the redeveloped CB Complex was finally available this year.
He said it was disappointing Hughes was leaving but "we don't begrudge his decision to work closer to his family and the benefits that brings to your life".
"Now as a club we are spring-loaded to capitalise on all that hard work," he said. "We've shortlisted some people who we think might be interested, but due to the outstanding position our club is in we don't imagine it will be too hard [to find replacements]."
He said the club was open to finding one or two people to fill the roles. Valentine's NPL men's teams sit fifth in first and reserve grade, while their Premier Youth League teams had secured a division one spot for phase two.
