Gary Raymond Stead (born 9 January 1972) is a New Zealand cricket coach and former cricketer who is the head coach of the New Zealand cricket team, having been appointed in August 2018. He was the coach of the New Zealand squad which finished as runners-up at the 2019 Cricket World Cup.

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Gary Stead

Personal information
Full name	Gary Raymond Stead
Born	(1972-01-09) 9 January 1972 (age 52) Christchurch, New Zealand
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Legbreak
Relations	David Stead (father) Janice Stead (aunt)
International information
National side	New Zealand (1999)
Test debut (cap 207)	11 March 1999 v South Africa
Last Test	26 December 1999 v West Indies
Head coaching information
Years	Team
2018–	New Zealand
Career statistics
Competition Test FC LA Matches 5 101 103 Runs scored 278 4,984 2,173 Batting average 34.75 32.15 27.85 100s/50s 0/2 10/24 2/10 Top score 78 190 101* Balls bowled 6 1,053 48 Wickets 0 9 1 Bowling average – 65.22 43.00 5 wickets in innings – 0 0 10 wickets in match – 0 0 Best bowling – 4/58 1/20 Catches/stumpings 2/– 46/– 37/–
Medal record Men's Cricket Representing  New Zealand as Coach ICC Cricket World Cup Runner-up 2019 England and Wales
Source: Cricinfo, 1 May 2017

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A top-order batsman, Stead played five Tests in nine months in 1999, averaging 34.75 and never being dismissed in single figures. Against South Africa he showed his great character at Wellington, digging in and scoring 68 and 33,^[1] but after two mediocre performances against West Indies he was dropped. His Test call-up had come after eight years of first-class cricket with Canterbury, and he led them for five seasons from 1998–99 in a period when they struggled.

After he finished playing, he took up coaching and became coach of the successful New Zealand women's team. In August 2018, New Zealand Cricket appointed Stead coach of the New Zealand men's team, succeeding Mike Hesson.^[2]

After New Zealand's loss in a Super over against England in the 2019 World Cup, Stead criticised the decision of the ICC to go to a tie break and raised the idea of sharing the World Cup Trophy, a new system that was in place for the 2015 World Cup.^[3]