Thunderbirds name Dan Ryan as new coach

Dan Ryan will become the second male coach in the new Australian national netball championship after being named coach of the Adelaide Thunderbirds.

The 32-year-old follows NSW Swifts' boss Robert Wright in becoming a head coach at the elite national level.

Ryan, a former Australian men's netball captain, was an assistant coach at the Thunderbirds when they won the 2013 title.

He will return to Adelaide next week, quitting his role as coach of Manchester Thunder in England, where he has also been working as a specialist coach of the English national team.

"My ability to connect, engage and really understand my athletes has always been a major strength of my coaching," Ryan said in a statement on Wednesday.

"I would consider myself to be pretty demanding in regards to the level of quality and intensity I expect in a high-performance environment.

"I pride myself on bringing great passion and energy which I believe is critical in developing a thriving team culture and positive environment."

The Thunderbirds parted with coach Michelle den Dekker midway through a disappointing just-completed season, where they finished last with just two wins.

"There is a lot of hard work ahead of us and we all need to be prepared to embrace that challenge to fight our way back to the top," Ryan said.