KAWASAKI (Kyodo) Assistant coach Tsutomu Takahata will become Kawasaki Frontale's next manager, the team announced on Friday.
The J. League runners-up's contract with the 41-year-old Takahata runs for one year from Feb. 1, 2010.
On Wednesday, Kawasaki announced the resignation of Takashi Sekizuka, who turned down a contract extension to take responsibility for ending the 2009 season without a title.
Takahata has served as caretaker manager of Kawasaki since April 2008 until the end of the season as Sekizuka had treatment for arrhythmia.
"Our club has the ability to win a title," Takahata said. "I'll try to bring that out and win a long-awaited championship."