Kalinga Lancers have appointed Australian hockey legend Jay Stacy as their new head coach, replacing Valentin Altenburg after a disappointing previous season. Stacy, a decorated player with 321 international appearances and three Olympic medals, brings extensive coaching experience from Australia, the Netherlands, and Belgium.After a below-par performance in the last edition of the Hockey India League, Kalinga Lancers have appointed Australian legend Jay Stacy as their new head coach for the upcoming season. Under former German coach Valentin Altenburg, the team based out of Odisha failed to perform to their full potential despite having the likes of Alexander Hendrickx, Thierry Brinkman, Aran Zalewski and Arthur Van Doren and finished sixth in the standings with just 12 points from 10 games. But the Australian coach will be hoping to turn things around this season after being given the reins of the team. One of the most decorated Australian players to have ever played the game, he also brings a wealth of coaching experience. He worked extensively across the club and domestic circuits in Australia, the Netherlands, and Belgium, and also served as coach of the Mumbai franchise during the 2016 and 2017 editions of the Hockey India League. Since 2022, he has been the head coach of the Australian Junior Team. "I am excited to begin a new chapter with Kalinga Lancers and am thrilled to be returning to Hockey India League, which has evolved significantly since my earlier stint. The league taught me a lot as a coach, and I am sure this will be another exciting experience for me, both being back in India and working with such a wonderful franchise," said Stacy in a statement. As far as his records as a player is concerned, he made 321 international appearances for Australia and was part of the Australian squad that won three Olympic medals in 1992, 1996, and 2000. Stacy was also named the FIH Player of the Year in 1999 and later retired in 2000 as Australia's then most capped international player.