Kade Butters will reignite his senior coaching career with Barnawartha.
Butters replaces co-coaches Tom Anson and Danny De Marte at the helm who step down after one season in charge.
He has had previous coaching experience with both the Wodonga Saints and Border-Walwa.
Butters said it was exciting to be taking over a list that is a genuine flag contender with plenty of junior talent emerging through the ranks.
He has first hand knowledge of the junior talent after coaching the fourths for two seasons and coaching the thirds for the past two years.
"It's a terrific opportunity and has come around fairly quickly after Danny and Tom decided to step down," Butters said.
"I coached the under-14s a couple of years ago and was meant to coach the thirds last year before COVID as well as this year.
"The thirds were undefeated this season and there are some talented kids on the list who will be given senior opportunities next year."
Butters is also a former player with the Tigers.
He played in Barnawartha's successive grand final defeats in 2000-01 before joining Wodonga Saints in 2002 as assistant coach under coach Ross Hedley.
It proved to be costly for Butters after Barnawartha claimed its first flag in the competition after joining the Tallangatta league in 1958.
"Missing out on the flag did hurt at the time after coming so close the previous two years," he said.
"Next year will be the 20-year reunion and it would be sweet to get some consolation two decades later."
Butters said he had initially signed for one season as coach.
He said his first priority would be to re-sign the existing list with the Tigers finishing fourth this season with a 9-2 record.
Only percentage separated Chiltern, Kiewa-Sandy Creek and Barnawartha who finished the season with the same amount of wins.
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"The list is in good shape and the club played in the grand final two years ago under 'Cookie' (Peter)," he said.
"Tom and Danny did a fantastic job this year with only percentage the difference from finishing in second spot.
"It would have been a hard-fought finals series but unfortunately we didn't get that far.
"I haven't had a chance to contact everybody yet but the blokes that I have rang have committed again which is a promising sign.
"Now that the lockdown has ended we can sign blokes up.
"With the list we have got and the juniors coming through we are more than capable of challenging for the flag.
"Any recruits we land, will be just a bonus."
Butters said junior development was the key to future success.
"The club is in a great position with its junior talent," he said.
"Kaiden Withers played three senior matches this year and showed some promising signs..
"Cohen Trujillo played one and there is two or three others that easily could of."
