Peter Cklamovski worked with the former Australia boss at Yokohama. The 41-year-old was an important part of that success but now he is in charge of the J.League institution that is Shimizu S-Pulse.
There is plenty of work for Cklamovski to do. There may not be an expectation to take the team into the top four to challenge his former boss but there is some pressure on his shoulders.
The 41-year-old is the first of the post-Postecoglou coaches to get a head coaching job in Japan. If he does well at S-Pulse, former club of Western Sydney Wanderers captain Mitch Duke, then others are going to follow.
Another success for an Australian coach will cement the country’s reputation as a pool of coaching know-how and wisdom from which Japan, and other countries in Asia, can draw. If he fails, then - rightly or wrongly - the reflection from Postecoglou's success will be dimmed.
For Cklamovski, the first challenge is liking orange. That is the colour of the famous shirt, the colour of the stadium on matchday and the colour of the clubhouse.
I have found myself there a few times over the years. The city of Shizuoka can be reached in an easy 90 minutes or so on the bullet train from Tokyo, and you can see Mount Fuji from there on clear days - though those are never guaranteed on Japan’s Pacific Coast.
Back in 2011, I wrote an in-depth study on youth development in Japan and spent two days with the club, talking to staff, Shinji Ono and others about this special corner of Asian football.
Freddie Ljungberg was there at the time, near the end of an unremarkable spell but looked happy signing plenty of autographs with waiting fans and perhaps dreaming of Arsenal.
Going to Shimizu was a natural thing to do. This part of Japan used to be the hotbed of Japanese football, producing talents such as the legendary Kazuyoshi Miura.
When the J.League kicked-off in 1993, around 15% of all the Japanese players were from the region. It is less influential these days but S-Pa is still an important club.
Cklamovski will also find it is friendly and homely. It is one of those that has close links with the local community and the kind of team that is hard even for rivals to dislike.
With its massive stadium and corporate origins, Yokohama F. Marinos can feel a little cold and corporate. Shimizu, though, with its 20,000-seat stadium that is open to the elements but very close to the pitch (and, again, affording a view of Fuji when weather allows) is just a lovely place to watch football.
The affection that fans have is there for all to see.
Despite their history, Shimizu have never been champions of Japan. They came close in 1999 - a season well-covered in the book ‘Ultra Nippon’ by Shimizu fan and Brit Jonathan Burchall - but were pipped to the title by local rivals Jubilo Iwata.
Shimizu’s strength did not last and they have been pretty much a mid-table team for much of the century, though found themselves relegated for the first time in 2015.
Since bouncing back at the first time of asking they have not set the top tier alight, finishing 12th last season.
The major problem was there for all to see as S-Pulse conceded 69 goals and finished the season with a goal difference of minus 24, both stats that were the worst in the entire 18-team league.
There is a lot to do then but Cklamovski has earned a chance.
There was talk of Postecoglou opening doors but if his assistant has success too then it can only be good for Australian football and Australian coaches.
