Acquired by the Hawks on Monday as a replacement for former coach Gordie McLeod, Beveridge got to know the area well during his 10-year stint as head coach at the NSW Institute of Sport.

He has always had a soft spot for the Illawarra region and admires its people.

‘‘I was down here nearly every second week for 10 years when I was coaching at the NSW Institute of Sport and I’ve coached a lot of kids in this area,’’ Beveridge said.

Head to the Hawks Nest

‘‘Wollongong’s just got a great feel about it. What I love about Wollongong is that they’re a bunch of fighters, and that’s who I am. I truly believe that’s my background. If you tell me I can’t do anything, I get my back up and prove people wrong, so that’s why it feels like the right fit.’’

Beveridge broke into the NBL in 2008 as coach of the Sydney Spirit (formerly West Sydney Razorbacks).

The Spirit folded after one season but Beveridge landed on his feet when he secured the head coaching position with the Perth Wildcats.

He won a title at his first attempt with the Cats in 2010, beating the Hawks 2-1 in the best of three grand final series.

After spending the past two years coaching in China and the Philippines, the man known as ‘Bevo’ is refreshed and excited about returning to the NBL.

‘‘I needed a break after six straight years and had to get away,’’ he said.

‘‘A lot of people don’t get it, but if you look at the history of coaching, some of it is just burnout. There’s a lot of expectations and pressure that coaches in all sport go through. You’re up at two in the morning still cutting up tape or preparing. You’re never not coaching.

‘‘Being in Perth, we did 200,000 kays a year of flying. I rarely slept after a loss. It became a massive grind, mentally and physically, and I needed a break. Now I feel fresh and I’m super excited about being back in the league.’’

While the Wildcats are probably the NBL’s most stable franchise and boast the biggest fan base, the Hawks have just pulled through a precarious voluntary administration period and occasionally drew crowds of less than 2000 last season.

Beveridge faces the task of building a team from the ground up and insists he is under no illusions about the challenges ahead.

‘‘I’ve been through West Sydney folding and experienced some of that hardship, very similar to what the Hawks have gone through, and I’ve had the other extreme with Perth where it’s the penthouse,’’ he said.

‘‘This club has nearly folded several times and they keep plugging away and rising from the ashes. This is a fighting town and it’s always had a great feel about it in my eyes.’’

Beveridge has a strong rapport with Illawarra assistant coaches Matt Flinn and Eric Cooks.

It was hugs and handshakes all round when Beveridge arrived at Hawks headquarters for his first day of work on Thursday.

‘‘Cookie and Flinny are fantastic guys,’’ he said.

‘‘I’ve known them for a long time. I coached Eric’s son Dom at the junior level and Flinny was one of those people I had working on the ground for me when I was at the NSW Institute.

‘‘I’m rapt to work with them, really pumped. Obviously I’ve got my philosophy how I coach and what I want, but I want them to express themselves and have a lot of input. I’m the head coach but I need to have a group of merry men around me and they’re definitely my right-hand men.’’

The Hawks stitched Rhys Martin to a one-year deal on Thursday and expect to announce more player signings in the coming days.

The 2015-16 season tips off in October.