Ummm
OlyWhites coach Des Buckingham won't be staying on as an All Whites assistant after missing out on the top job.
"We've sat down and discussed it," Hay said.
"We're both big boys and he understands how it is in football at the top level, that I need to surround myself with people that I know. It's not so much a trust thing, but having intimate knowledge of how they work.
"In time I'm sure I'll get there with Des, there's no doubt about that, but he's got a huge job on his hands with the under-23s and preparing them for the Tokyo Olympics, so he can now focus fully on that."
Hay said he and Buckingham would still have "a very close working relationship", given the number of players likely to be involved with both the All Whites and the OlyWhites over the next 12 months.
"He's taking the under-23s through to Tokyo, and there will be a lot of players that cross over between the two environments.
"I've gone through the squad [for November] with him and I want him to question and challenge some of the decisions I'm making around that, because ultimately I want to be giving some of those under-23 players opportunities."