Melbourne Renegades and Stars Swap Coaches in Major BBL Shake-Up

Dr. Annelies De Vos · 2026-07-17

The Big Bash League (BBL) is seeing a major coaching reshuffle as two of Melbourne's biggest franchises swap leaders. Luke Ronchi has taken over as head coach of the Melbourne Renegades, replacing Cameron White, who has moved across town to lead the Melbourne Stars. Peter Moores will stay on with the Stars but in a new role as director of coaching for the upcoming season. This isn't just a simple coach swap. It's part of a bigger story about how Cricket Victoria is restructuring both teams after a failed attempt to bring in private investment. That plan would have sold the Renegades to a private buyer and rebranded the Stars under Victoria's colors, but it collapsed after several states and the Australian Cricketers' Association rejected it. ### Who Is Luke Ronchi? Luke Ronchi, 45, is stepping down from his position as New Zealand's men's batting coach after six years in that role. He's not new to the BBL though. Ronchi played for the Perth Scorchers in the first season of the league after a long career with Western Australia. He also represented Australia in four ODIs and three T20Is before returning to New Zealand, the country of his birth, where he played four Tests, 81 ODIs, and 29 T20Is for the Black Caps. Ronchi arrives at the Renegades on the back of a strong campaign with Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), where his side came close to reaching the final. He will continue working with New Zealand until their India tour ends in December, but he has already begun planning the Renegades coaching staff alongside high performance manager Clint McKay, who will double as bowling coach. Two more assistant coaches are still to be appointed. "Luke stood out with his clear vision for how he wants our team to play and his ability to build strong relationships," McKay said. New Zealand captain Tom Latham also credited Ronchi's coaching for the improvement in several players under his guidance during his time with the national side. ### The Renegades Rebuild Ronchi's appointment follows months of turmoil at the two Melbourne franchises. Cricket Victoria, which now runs the Stars exclusively, moved former Renegades general manager James Rosengarten and former head of cricket Wade Seccombe into equivalent positions at the Stars. That left the Renegades without an administration for a period, run by just two staff members: general manager Max Abbott and McKay, who rebuilt the club's operations from scratch. Abbott and McKay consulted vice-captain Will Sutherland before interviewing Ronchi, former Sydney Sixers coach Greg Shipperd, and current Durham coach Ryan Campbell for the head coach role. Ronchi was chosen to bring fresh energy to a playing group that has faced repeated upheaval. - Renegades finished sixth and seventh in the last two seasons under White - The team has been through significant administrative changes - Ronchi's international experience is expected to stabilize the squad ### White Takes Over at Stars Cameron White moves to the Stars after two seasons at the Renegades. He previously led the San Francisco Unicorns, also run by Cricket Victoria, to the Major League Cricket playoffs. At the Stars, he will work under Moores, who coached the team for the past two seasons and now shifts into a director of coaching position. Rosengarten said the club now has multiple high-caliber coaches working within its BBL program, adding that White brings strong tactical experience and a heavy work rate to the role. ### What Else Is Changing? Both clubs are also searching for new WBBL coaches. Simon Helmot has left the Renegades for Gulf Giants in the ILT20, while Stars assistant Andy Christie is expected to step into a larger role this season. This coaching shake-up could reshape the BBL landscape. With Ronchi's fresh approach and White's tactical experience, the Melbourne rivalry is about to get a lot more interesting.