 In 1964, he took his first assignment as a head manager at DFC and became champion of the second division in his first year.In 1973, while manager of De Graafschap, he and his club (which included defender Guus Hiddink) were promoted to the Eredivisie.He subsequently became champion of the Eerste Divisie with NEC in 1975, and moved to the Molenbeek which had won the Belgian League the preceding season.