The former Australian Diamonds star guided the Vixens to national league titles in 2014 and 2020, minor premierships in 2017, 2020 and 2022, as well as to Super Netball grand final appearances in 2022 and 2024.
McKinnis revealed her decision on court Sunday afternoon in front of players and Vixens fans, immediately after the home game at John Cain Arena against Sunshine Coast Lightning, her 201st match as a national league head coach.
Victorian Institute of Sport CEO, Nicole Livingstone OAM has applauded McKinnis for her outstanding contribution to the organisation and high-performance sport in Victoria.
"The VIS would like to thank Simone for her 13 years of dedication and commitment to the Vixens and netball in Victoria," Livingstone said.
"A two-time premiership winning coach and an exception role model, Simone has set the bar for women in sport in Australia and we wish her the very best in what she decides to pursue next."
The VIS works in partnership with Netball Victoria to deliver two programs, one being the Melbourne Vixens program, providing coaching and performance support to the team in the Suncorp Super Netball competition including performance analysis, physical preparation, performance lifestyle, sports dietitian and physiotherapy.
Second is an underpinning development program that provides world class coaching, training and support services to targeted nationally identified underage squad athletes, assisting them to improve their competitive performance and reach their full potential on and off the court, playing a critical role in Netball Victoria's performance pathways.
Netball Victoria CEO Andrea Pearman paid tribute to McKinnis for the tremendous contribution she has made to the Vixens, the growth of the national competition and to netball more widely, including as a former Diamond.
“Simone is respected and greatly admired by everyone involved with the Vixens, particularly the players, and will forever be a part of the Vixens family. While Simone’s focus for now is on lifting the team into another finals series and achieving more success, we will ensure that over the coming months we fittingly celebrate all she has achieved across the past 13 years,” Pearman said.
McKinnis said while her passion for coaching and netball remained, after 13 years in the head role and with her current contract expiring at the end of the season, now was the right time to hand over the reins.
“It has been my privilege to work with so many tremendously talented athletes in my time as head coach, including among the current playing group, and share so much success with them. My commitment and focus remains on guiding the Vixens through the rest of the 2025 season and into finals,” McKinnis said.
The mid-season announcement will enable Netball Victoria to undertake a thorough and comprehensive search for the next Vixens coach, well ahead of the 2026 season.
Credit: Melbourne Vixens
