Dean Cox's decision with wife vindicated as John Longmire calls it quits as Sydney Swans coach

The Swans have confirmed their new head coach after Longmire stepped down.

Sam Goodwin
·Sports Editor
·6-min read

Dean Cox's decision to remain in Sydney with his wife and kids instead of moving back home to the West Coast Eagles has paid off, with Swans coach John Longmire stepping down on Tuesday. The Swans have confirmed that Longmire will leave the role he's held since 2011, with long-time assistant Cox to take over.

Longmire will immediately step into another role at the Swans, becoming the club's executive director of performance. The veteran coach flagged after Sydney's loss in the 2024 grand final that he was considering his future, and he's now decided to call it quits.

Dean Cox and his wife alongside John Longmire.
Dean Cox opted to remain in Sydney with his wife and kids and is expected to take over from John Longmire as head coach of the Swans. Image: Getty

"I had been wrestling with the decision about whether I would coach on for 2025 since about midway through last season," Longmire said on Tuesday. "The team was travelling really well – in fact, this year as good as we ever have. However, even during this year with the team's superb on-field form and our football department working really well in support, I felt in myself that my time as coach of the club was coming towards a close.

"After such a long time coaching, the week in, week out really does start to wear on you. I feel that I need to step back from coaching to rest, reflect and regenerate. I've always been interested in the strategic areas of the club's growth, and as time has gone on I've felt myself being drawn more and more towards this aspect. After a bit more time to rest, I'm looking forward to helping the club on its path of continuous improvement both on and off the field."

It means Swans assistant coach Cox will take over in the top job after recently knocking back interest to join West Coast. Cox is an Eagles legend and helped them win the flag in 2006, and was thought to be odds-on to take over as head coach when Adam Simpson left the role earlier this year.

But the 43-year decided to remain at the Swans and cited the fact his wife and kids are settled in Sydney. "I am extremely happy in Sydney, and I believe this is the best place for me and my family at the moment," Cox said in July. "My two girls are 8 and 11 and have made solid friendships at school, and my wife is running a new business which she is passionate about, so we feel staying in Sydney is the best option for us right now."

Dean Cox and John Longmire at the Sydney Swans in 2019.
Dean Cox has been John Longmire's assistant at the Sydney Swans for a number of years. (Photo by Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images)

With Longmire now departing, Cox's decision has been vindicated. The Swans would seemingly be in a much better position than the Eagles for immediate success.

"Just as John was the beneficiary of a transition into the role from Paul Roos, I am very pleased to have been mentored into this role by John," said Cox, who has signed a four-year deal after first joining the club in 2017. "It is very much part of the Swans way, and I'm extremely excited for next year and beyond."

Longmire led the Swans to the 2012 premiership, but suffered grand final losses in 2014, 2016, 2022 and 2024. The Swans were absolutely thrashed in the final two of those losses, belted by Brisbane by 10 goals this year despite being the best team all season.

RELATED:

Speaking in September, leading reporter Damien Barrett said Swans bosses couldn't ignore the fact Longmire had lost four grand finals in a row. “This can’t be walked past,” Barrett said on the Sunday Footy Show. “John Longmire we know has been wrestling with his own future beyond next year, he is contracted, but to be smashed now twice inside three seasons to add the 2016 grand final and the 2014 grand final to the losses he has had as the coach of this footy club, I expect this club to fully debrief this one and I think some big conversations will be had.”

Longmire has an overall winning percentage of 62.9 from 333 games in charge of the Swans, with 208 wins, 122 losses and three draws. He had a successful playing career with North Melbourne, featuring in 200 games for the Kangaroos and winning the Coleman Medal in 1990 for most goals in the league.

Latest stories