Taumaunu announced today that she will finish as head coach after next month's four-test Constellation Cup series against Australia, having elected not to reapply for her position, which was advertised after the World Cup.
The move has surprised many in the netball community, with there being a sense that Taumaunu was only just beginning to make real gains with her programme after a tough time for New Zealand netball.
After an 18-goal capitulation to Australia in last year's Commonwealth Games final, Taumaunu was forced to make sweeping changes to her side for the World Cup last month, bringing several untested rookies into the group.
The Ferns impressed with their bold new attacking gameplan at the Sydney tournament, upstaging Australia in pool play only to once again fall to the Diamonds when it mattered in the final.
Netball NZ chief executive Hilary Poole said she had hoped Taumaunu would apply for another term in charge.
"We did ask her a number of times and encourage her to put her hat in the ring again because we believe she's still got more to give.
"I don't think she has maxed out her potential," said Poole.
"We really admire what she has done with this group. She was brave, she took calculated risks and, to be honest, she took a lot of flak from the public for a period of time.
"But she has always been resolutely supported by the Netball NZ board and myself and she has added a huge amount of value to the sport in terms of starting to build that depth and change the culture," Poole said.
While her bosses would have liked to see her stick around, the coach herself is adamant it is time for new leadership in the Silver Ferns programme.
Taumaunu has been involved since 2008 - first as assistant coach before taking over from Ruth Aitken in 2011.
"For all intents and purposes I have been there for eight years, and I feel very strongly that eight years is enough and a fresh set of eyes will be a good thing for the Silver Ferns," she said.
Taumaunu admits walking away from the team without a major title to her name will grate, "but it's still not a good enough reason to not allow a fresh approach to come in".
But just who will bring that fresh approach remains anyone's guess, with there being no obvious ready-made replacement for Taumaunu.
Her assistant coach for the past two years, Australian shooting legend Vicki Wilson, officially ended her term with the Ferns after the World Cup.
Just as Netball NZ has grappled with player depth, coaching depth has also been a concern for the national body recently.
Former Magic coach Noeline Taurua has previously stated her desire for the position, while Steel coach Janine Southby is highly regarded as an up-and-coming coach.
With local options thin on the ground, Netball NZ may consider appointing an overseas applicant for the first time. Several Australians are expected to apply, including current Magic coach Julie Fitzgerald.
Poole was coy when asked the national body's stance on whether the Silver Ferns coach needs to be a New Zealander.
"We'll be appointing very much the best person for the job," she said.
"We need to go through the process and give everyone the opportunity to demonstrate their suitability for the role."
Applications for the position closed last night. Netball NZ hopes to name the new coach by mid-November.
The appointments panel will include Poole, Netball NZ high performance director Steve Lancaster, a representative from High Performance Sport NZ and a well-known former player.
