Speculation the legendary 66-year-old coach could link with the Illawarra franchise have grown to a dull roar since the NBL announced it had awarded the license to a new consortium on Wednesday.

Goorjian remains close with new president Dorry Kordahi from their time at the Kings, a stint that saw the mastercoach take the formerly dubbed 'violet crumbles' to a three-peat of titles in 2003-05.

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He's spent his time coaching in China since finishing up as Boomers coach in 2009 and has been linked to an NBL return with various clubs for the best part of a decade.

It's, as yet, unclear whether the role will be as head coach or include a broader mandate across all club operations, with Kordahi confirming last week that Matt Flinn will not return in a head coaching capacity.

Two-time NBA Executive of the Year, and Hawks consortium advisor, Bryan Colangelo told NBL.com last week that the NBL was a league suited to dual coaching and managerial roles.

"We're preparing now to potentially make some important and vital basketball decisions on the near-term horizon," Colangelo told NBL Overtime.

"We're looking to decide quickly what's going to happen with the basketball operation. Whoever we ultimately put in that position as head coach, that role is really going to be coach and management of the basketball team itself.

"Generally I would say the model where the coach and management are one position hasn't worked great in the NBA but I think in this league, where there's nine teams and a smaller pool of domestic players [it can].

"We're going to be looking for whoever that person is to have a lot of input and say as to how the roster's constructed, the style of play and where we want to take things with the organisation.

"We're going to do what's right and necessary, provide the resources, provide the leeway, but make the right decision in terms of who that person's going to be to lead the charge basketball-wise."

Goorjian has held such highly lucrative combined roles in his time in China, but he has returned to Australia amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bringing on board the most successful coach in the history of Australian basketball could go some way to winning back the faith of fans who've voiced displeasure at the dropping of 'Illawarra' from the franchise name.

It's something Colangelo addressed in his interview with the NBL Overtime, assuring the Wollongong faithful their Hawks aren't going anywhere.

"Honestly [dropping the name] was something that was driven perhaps more by the league," he said.

"We've talked about our desires to increase the fan-base and increase the ability for people to jump on board with being a Hawks fan but, with respect to Wollongong, there's no question our primary intention is to stay here and embrace it as our home community.

"Wollongong is home and we look forward to remaining here and no one should be fretting that we're on the way out of town."