Durban City’s search for a new head coach has ended with the club bringing on board experienced manager Gavin Hunt.

Hunt, 60, has been announced as the new mentor of the Betway Premiership side from KwaZulu-Natal.

Durban City were searching for a replacement after parting ways with Simo Dladla, who guided the club to automatic promotion from the Motsepe Foundation Championship. Dladla has since joined AmaZulu as assistant coach to Arthur Zwane.

With that chapter closed for Durban City, the new coach has arrived, and in Hunt, Durban City has in its ranks the longest-serving manager in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) era, since 1996, with his debut as coach going as far back as the late 90s at Seven Stars.

“We are thrilled to welcome Gavin to Durban City. His record speaks for itself, and we believe he is the right person to lead our team into this exciting new era,” said club boss Farook Kadodia.

“His professionalism, football knowledge, and winning mentality are exactly what the club needs as we strive to compete at the highest level.”

The Cape Town-born former defender left SuperSport United on 21 March after reaching a 1000-game milestone in the PSL, the first coach to achieve the feat.

His record reads 417 wins, 289 draws, and 298 defeats in 1,004 games.

Hunt has won seven trophies, including four league titles—three with SuperSport United and one at Bidvest Wits—and has been awarded PSL Coach of the Season on five occasions.