DON PYKE, a two-time West Coast premiership player and former senior coach of Adelaide, will return to the Eagles as the club's new CEO.
Pyke has spent the past three seasons as an assistant coach at Sydney under John Longmire, but he will return to WA to take over the top job at West Coast from long-time club boss Trevor Nisbett.
"I am excited to be returning home to a club I love in the West Coast Eagles where I have such wonderful memories and am proud and honoured to be given the responsibility to lead the club forward," Pyke said.
"This is a pivotal time for our club, our people and our supporters to pursue excellence to attain success again. I am very much looking forward to working with everyone across the entire organisation as we build towards the 2024 season."
Pyke played 132 games at the Eagles from 1989-1996, including the 1992 and 1994 premierships.
He then embarked on a coaching career, working as a strategy coach at the Eagles before a short stint as an assistant coach at Adelaide under Neil Craig from 2005-06. He was a director of the Eagles from 2001-04.
Pyke returned to WA at the end of 2006 to focus on his business career, before returning to the Eagles as an assistant under Adam Simpson from 2013-15. He became the senior coach at the Crows for the 2016 season and coached the club to the minor premiership and Grand Final in 2017, when the Crows lost to Richmond.
Pyke departed Adelaide at the end of 2019 with two years remaining on his contract after a dismal final season in charge, and spent a year out of footy before joining Longmire's team at Sydney.
Eagles chair Paul Fitzpatrick said the board was thrilled to welcome Pyke.
"We are delighted to welcome Don back to his spiritual home at West Coast," he said.
"Don's football pedigree is outstanding, having worked as a senior coach, player and serving as a board director at our club. He has also held a number of senior business leadership roles.
"His unique experience gives him unrivalled knowledge of all aspects of the club's operations, both on field and off.
"However, it is his knowledge of football operations that we know will prove invaluable as the club builds on its strong foundations to once again experience on-field success."
