NEWCASTLE Jets officials have such faith in Carl Robinson they have signed him to what will potentially be the longest tenure of any coach in the club's history.
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The Jets announced on Thursday that Robinson, the former Welsh international midfielder and Vancouver Whitecaps manager, had agreed to take the reins at Newcastle for the rest of this campaign and three seasons after that.
If the 43-year-old sees out the deal, his stint will surpass that of his predecessor, Ernie Merrick (67 games) and Gary van Egmond's two terms in charge (63 games and 66 games). Branko Culina (59 games) was offered a four-year contract extension in October, 2010, but was sacked barely a year later.
After the decision to part company with Merrick on January 6, the Jets were inundated with applicants but soon pinpointed Robinson as their preferred option.
He had not only enjoyed a successful playing career, representing Wales in 52 internationals and plying his trade for Premier League clubs Sunderland and Portsmouth, he had also spent five years coaching Vancouver in the US Major League Soccer.
Robinson also impressed the powers-that-be when he paid his own way to Australia to conduct due diligence on the Jets, attending a training session and their recent game against Melbourne City at AAMI Park.
Whereas other candidates were eager just to secure a job, Robinson wanted to decide for himself if the club was a viable proposition.
Newcastle chief executive Lawrie McKinna and football manager Joel Griffiths were able to convince him that he would receive the support he needs to transform the Jets, who have been last on the ladder for the past month, into a genuine contender.
Robinson will hold a media conference on Friday and attend Newcastle's derby clash with Central Coast on Sunday as a spectator, before caretaker coach Craig Deans hands over the reins next week.
Robinson's first assignment will be the clash with Western Sydney at Bankwest Stadium on Saturday week.
"Everything I have seen about the club so far has been top class," Robinson said in a statement released by the Jets.
"They are desperate for success and hopefully we can achieve that together.
"After first speaking to Lawrie, I was genuinely excited about Newcastle. I spoke to several other people in and around the league and ... the opportunity was too good to turn down.
"I am really looking forward to finalising my coaching staff, rolling our sleeves up and getting to work.
"I am moving my family from a beautiful city in Vancouver to another amazing part of the world."
McKinna said Robinson was the "perfect fit".
"We felt he was the outstanding candidate from the start among hundreds of CVs that we received," McKinna said. "He's an experienced coach with a good understanding of the Hyundai A-League, and he knows how to work within a salary cap due to his MLS experience, which is crucial for us."
"We've spoken at length about just about everything to do with the club, he came out to tour our facilities and the city to make sure it was the right fit for him which says a lot to us about the character of the man - that is very important to us."
