Coach Profile: AJ van Wyk (St Andrew’s School)
St Andrew’s School has an experienced campaigner in their 1st XI Head Coach, AJ van Wyk.
The school has six representatives in the 13-player Free State Khaya Majola Week squad, including opening batsman Naudé Botha and all-rounder Andrew Sobiech. That’s six familiar faces for him to work with in the provincial outfit, for whom he is also the Head Coach.
Discussing his experiences as a coach, Van Wyk told SuperSport Schools Plus: “I’d say I’ve had more success as a coach than a player. As a player, I captained Kovsies (University of the Free State) for four seasons. I think we did pretty well in that period, but I have more achievements to talk about as a coach.
“We won regionals in my first year as a coach and got to compete at nationals. That was a big highlight.”
“We’ve also been crowned Free State’s Switch Schools SA20 champions for two years in a row now. Those are two big highlights, as well.
“This is also my fourth season as the Free State Khaya Majola team’s Head Coach, which is also something I’m very proud of.”
From where did his passion for cricket come? Van Wyk shared some of his earliest and fondest memories of the sport with SuperSport Schools Plus: “I remember the first time I went to watch a Test match. It was right here at Bloemfontein’s Mangaung Oval, between South Africa and England. It was Kevin Pieterson’s debut for England, and he scored a century. The match ended in a tie.”
His first stadium experience provided AJ van Wyk with an unforgettable introduction to the game. However, he also shared, he was inspired by watching cricket on TV: “I remember watching Standard Bank Cup cricket on TV at home and then trying to replicate what the players did on TV outside in the backyard.”
Like many young players, Van Wyk had a role model whom he tried to emulate: “My childhood hero was Ryan McLaren. He always looked like the fittest player in the team.
“Funnily enough, when I first coached the St Andrew’s 1st XI against Grey College, McLaren was newly appointed as their 1st XI coach. We managed to get the better of them on that day. It’s a fond memory I have of getting to compete against him, and I’d say we have a good relationship to this day.”
Van Wyk also spoke about his own coaching hero: “I’d say my coaching hero is Justin Langer (former Australia men’s Head Coach). He’s big on team culture and spends a lot of time installing good values into his players. He teaches his players to put the team before themselves. That’s something I’ve added to my own coaching philosophy.”
Lastly, he shared his mission as a coach. “What got me into coaching was my desire to serve the game. Coaching is my way of doing that,” he explained.
“At school, I had often been the captain of the teams I played in. I enjoyed being in leadership roles, and coaching was a role that I wanted to try out. It has turned out really well. I enjoy seeing the students grow as both cricketers and Christians.”
“This is my seventh year with St. Andrew’s. I started as the u15A coach back in 2018. Then at the end of 2019, I took over as the 1st XI coach.
“In my time as the Head Coach and Director of Cricket, my hours haven’t just been spent on developing quality cricketers. I want to develop good men. I’m trying to use sport as a vessel to mould the players into men of Christ.”
AJ van Wyk had big shoes to fill when he took over as 1st XI coach and the Director of Cricket at St Andrew’s School from Gregg Hobson.
Hobson had guided Saints to the national T20 title in 2018 with a team that included, among others, future Proteas’ paceman Gerald Coetzee and Knights’ wicketkeeper-batsman Garnett Tarr. During his tenure, he had also coached a future legend of the game, Joe Root.
Hobson’s was a tough act to follow, but AJ van Wyk has done it with distinction. He has helped St Andrew’s to remain one the country’s leading cricket-playing schools, churning out Free State provincial players and a fair number of South African Schools players, too.
He’s taken the school’s strong cricket legacy and kept that fire of excellence burning strongly, and he’s far from done.
With the Khaya Majola Week taking place in Bloemfontein from 16-21 December, he also has an opportunity to further burnish his coaching record with Free State in familiar conditions.
- Coach Profile: AJ van Wyk (St Andrew’s School) - 2025-12-03
- Player Profile: Andrew Sobiech (St. Andrew’s School) - 2025-12-02
- Coach Profile: Pietie Loubser (Wynberg Boys’ High) - 2025-11-30
