Sydney Swans appoint Dean Cox as new head coach as John Longmire quits to take fresh role

Long-time Sydney Swans head coach John Longmire has quit, effective immediately, and assistant coach Dean Cox is his successor, the club confirmed in a statement on Tuesday.

But Longmire, who had been contracted as head coach for 2025, will take on a new role with Sydney as executive director — club performance.

Cox has become Sydney's head coach on a four-year deal.

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It appears the impact of two AFL grand final drubbings in the past three seasons, including the 60-point thrashing at the hands of the Brisbane Lions in this year's decider, led Longmire to early resignation.

This year's grand final defeat followed the Geelong Cats' 81-point belting of Sydney in the 2022 decider.

Longmire thanked chairman Andrew Pridham and chief executive Tom Harley for giving him time following the season to "consider the best way forward" for himself and the club.

Longmire also said it was important to him to "leave the role with the club in great shape", and noted the club's record crowds, world-class Moore Park headquarters, "wonderful" playing list, experienced coaching team and quality football department.

"I had been wrestling with the decision about whether I would coach on for 2025 since about midway through last season," Longmire said.

"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."

Longmire said Cox was "ready" to step up and it "just made sense" to step aside for his long-time right-side man.

"I am genuinely excited for Dean," Longmire added.

"He will be a fantastic coach and will give the role a new lease of life and take it to another level."

Longmire steered the Swans to premiership glory in 2012, his second year in charge, but has since led the club to four grand finals — in 2014, 2016, 2022 and 2024 — and lost all of them.

Longmire joined the Swans as an assistant coach ahead of the 2002 season and succeeded Paul Roos, the 2005 premiership-winning coach, ahead of Sydney's 2011 campaign.

In Longmire's time as head coach, he led Sydney to the finals on 12 occasions from 14 seasons, including seven top-four finishes and three minor premierships.

He coached the Swans in 333 games and recorded a winning percentage of 62.91, which is only eclipsed by five coaches in VFL/AFL history (minimum 150 matches).

Longmire and list boss Kinnear Beatson have engineered a regeneration of the Sydney squad in recent seasons, recruiting and blooding into AFL football a host of youngsters as the careers of several club stalwarts drew to a close.

Lance Franklin, Jarrad McVeigh, Kieren Jack, Heath Grundy, Nick Smith and Josh Kennedy have all retired in the past five years, paving the way for young talent such as Oliver Florent, Will Hayward, Errol Gulden, Chad Warner, Logan McDonald and Matt Roberts to become regular top-flight footballers.

Sydney finished 15th and 16th in 2019 and 2020 respectively, but the club has returned to the competition's elite with an overhauled list.