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CHAMPIONSHIP-winning coach Rob Beveridge today officially will succeed Gordie McLeod as coach of the NBL's Hawks who, also from today, revert back to their former name of Illawarra.

The club started its NBL life as Illawarra Hawks in 1979, then after 19 years changed it to Wollongong Hawks but now again want their name to better reflect the region.

Beveridge has been out of the NBL for the past two seasons after having the reins at Perth Wildcats.

He won his NBL championship with Perth over McLeod's Hawks in 2010.

CHAMPION PAIR: Rob Beveridge and the man he succeeds, Gordie McLeod during the 2010 Grand Final.

Beveridge also previously coached at another former McLeod stronghold with the West Sydney Razorbacks.

Since stepping away from the Wildcats' role he has been running his own "Bevo International Coaching" company and also had coaching stints across Asia.

He predominantly is working in Manila with two Filipino teams during an April-September time frame, which obviously would not impact on the NBL.

Beveridge easily is the best-credentialled available Australian coach not currently in the NBL and a huge coup for the Hawks.

When he left the Wildcats, his star import Kevin Lisch, the NBL's 2012 MVP and 2010 Larry Sengstock Medallist, also departed, spending the past two years playing professionally in France and Spain. 

Lisch and his wife Rachel, who is from Sydney, have had two children since he went to play abroad.

He told me last week he was looking at options, to either stay in Europe or perhaps return to Australia.

"We don't have our hearts set on any one place right now," he said.

"Fortunately, my wife has been open to the adventure and new experiences of Europe (with two children under two!) so that is a possibility, as well as Australia."

Lisch said he still was up in the air but with Beveridge now signing in Wollongong, Illawarra has to surely become a more appealing option.

BACK TO THE FUTURE: Wollongong is Illawarra once more.