Hoffenheim’s short search for a new manager has come to an end.

Pellegrino Matarazzo was hired as Hoffenheim’s new manager, the Bundesliga club announced Wednesday. Matarazzo, who has been without a job since October 2022, has signed a contract with Hoffenheim until June 2025.

“As I’ve been living in the region since 2017, I’ve witnessed TSG’s development first-hand even after my departure and have followed it particularly closely due to my history with the club. The situation is undoubtedly demanding,” said Matarazzo. “I’m convinced of the team’s quality and will approach the task full of verve and with great confidence. TSG is synonymous with offensive, courageous and fresh football. I want to quickly get the team back to playing the kind of football that has set them apart for many years and that they’ve already impressively shown on the pitch this season.”

Matarazzo, 45, last served as manager of Stuttgart from December 2019-October 2022, helping the club fight off relegation in 2021-22. The New Jersey native posted a 31-40-29 record during his time with Stuttgart before being fired last October.

It is a return to Hoffenheim for Matarazzo after he served as head coach of the Under-23’s during the 2017-18 campaign before becoming a first team assistant in 2018-19. He also served as caretaker manager of Nuremberg II in 2011.

“Rino not only knows our club but also the vast majority of the first-team squad from his own experience. By the same token, we also know him and are therefore convinced that he is the right man for the head coach job,” said TSG director of football Alexander Rosen. “He not only led VfB Stuttgart to promotion but also proved his qualities by keeping them in the Bundesliga. He can cope with pressure and knows what is required in this situation. His philosophy of play, his vision of football and his way of dealing with people make him a 100% fit for TSG and its approach, well beyond the current situation.”

Hoffenheim has only won five of its 19 league matches this season, sitting just outside of the relegation zone by three points. John Brooks, Kasper Dolberg, and Thomas Delaney have all joined the club in January, with hopes of leading Hoffenheim away from the bottom three.

Hoffenheim will try and snap its 10-match winless run on Saturday against Bayer Leverkusen.