Hockey Australia asked former Kookaburras coach Frank Murray to lead the women's team to the 2008 Olympics because they "didn't have anybody else", Murray said on Wednesday.

Currently the program manager at the Western Australian Institute of Sport, Murray coached Australia's men to Olympic silver (1992) and bronze (1996) in seven years at the helm.

He was also an assistant coach to the Hockeyroos when the women won gold in Sydney 2000, joining the WAIS in 2001.

With current coach David Bell deciding not to re-apply after the Hockeyroos' disappointing fifth-place finish in Athens, Murray received an unexpected call.

Appointed on Wednesday to lead the women's program for the next four years, Murray admitted he didn't think he'd coach again.

"No. In fact I was quite happy with the job I have here (at the WAIS)," he told AAP.

"But Hockey Australia came to me and spoke to me about it and asked me for my views on it all.

"And in the end they didn't have anybody else so they spoke to me about whether I was prepared to do it.

"It's certainly out of the blue.

"I hadn't even considered coaching again at this level until they spoke to me after the Olympics."

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