The veteran was non-committal when pressed on his future during the season and after Sunday's semi-final defeat to the Kings.

While he stressed no decision was made until this week, it was clear Goorjian had been considering his options for a number of weeks.

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The master coach deserves every piece of praise he has received in recent days.

It's difficult to overstate how important Goorjian has been to the Hawks' rebuild over the past two seasons.

The team was on its knees, there was considerable uncertainty when an ownership group led by Dorry Kordahi took over and the NBL stripped the club of their Illawarra identity.

Goorjian was instrumental in returning the Illawarra to the club's name, a move that signified this is our team, not a travelling roadshow as the league had hoped the Hawks would become.

The coach has built the Hawks up to a title contender, a club players want to move to.

Goorjian, and many at the club, knew this day was coming. That's what has made the transition to Jacob Jackomas so smooth.

The pair have worked together for a decade, the new coach long viewed as Goorjian's successor.

Jackomas' basketball knowledge cannot be questioned. The former assistant regularly ran drills at training and drew up plays during matches.

But the path forward is treacherous.

After two straight semi-final exits, the new coach has to help this team take the next step.

Recruitment will be key, the Hawks' lack of depth exposed in the loss to the Kings.

That task is a whole lot harder when you can't use Goorjian as a lure, a point of difference in a competitive global basketball industry.

Only adding to the challenge is the recent exit of Kordahi as president. While he will still play a key role in the running of the Hawks, he is no longer the hands-on leader he has been for the past two years.

That has left Mat Campbell to step up as interim president, the club facing an unstable future.

It's a familiar situation for Illawarra, the Hawks lurching from one crisis to the next throughout their history.

Kordahi has promised this time will be different, that he is in for the long haul.

For Jackomas' sake, he must stay true to his word.

The last thing a rookie head coach needs is an unstable front office making life difficult on the court. Just ask Matt Flinn what that's like.

Jackomas has the chance to lead Illawarra to a second NBL title, it's up to the club to put him in a position to deliver on that potential.

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