Despite being tied up coaching Cringila's Premier League team, Beedie was approached by Port Kembla, his old stomping ground, with a simple request: could he return in 2021? The answer was defiant 'yes'.

"I had seven great years there [at Port] and still have a lot of great friends there. When they approached me, I was never in any doubt that I would take that job," Beedie told the Mercury.

"I look forward to next season, hopefully we can bring back a little bit of success."

Success at Port Kembla is something that Beedie is familiar with. The Zebras won the premiership in his first season in charge in 2010 before they completed the title double three years later.

"They'd had a bit of a lean spell when I went there initially," Beedie said.

"My first year, we won the title and that was pretty important for the club. It got us back in the limelight.

"The next five or six years after that, we were always very competitive and we won another championship. In that second title win in 2013, we won 16 games on the trot which was very pleasing and rewarding."

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Beedie will be assisted in 2021 by Port's current interim coach Rob Davies, who took over when Steve Dimitrievski resigned just days out from the start of this year's IPL campaign.

Port Kembla have clinched two wins and currently sit in 10^th spot on the ladder.

The Zebras are expected to improve considerably next season under Beedie and Davies' guidance. The pair already have a rapport.

"I coached Robbie quite a number of years ago at Dapto. He was different to coach, but he's obviously matured and is an excellent coach," Beedie said.

"I'm looking forward to getting his fresh ideas. That's the thing in football. Everyone has ideas and if you take them all on board, you can certainly improve."

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Port Kembla club president Emilio Salucci said he was pleased to have Beedie back at the Zebras next year.

"It's a very good appointment by the board. Stuart has done a lot of good things at the club. He understands the culture and the club, and he's a great fit for our club," Salucci said.

"Robbie Davies played in our first two grand finals in 1995 and ''96 against Lysaghts and he scored both goals in the 1-0 wins. He's Port Kembla through and through. And him coming on board to help us out when we were in that real difficult bind hasn't gone unnoticed.

"Robbie's been able to turn the players around and show them direction. He knows what it means to pull that Port Kembla jumper on."

While he looks forward to the challenge at Port, coach Beedie admits that he has mixed emotions about departing Cringila.

Beedie was announced as Port's 2021 coach on Tuesday, just days after he stepped down as the Lions coach. He is replaced by assistant coach Paul Michlmayr.

"I enjoyed my time at Cringila and I'm very grateful for the opportunity. I probably wouldn't have left there for any other club but Port Kembla, and they were very understanding of that," Beedie said.

"I wish Cringila nothing but the best in the future and hope Paul can get them back to where we striving to get to. I'm sure Paul has his own ideas that he will implement. I'd love to see a Port Kembla versus Cringila grand final next year."