Sussex legend James Kirtley says Paul Farbrace is guiding the club through tough times off the pitch.
But he is unsure he would fancy taking over the head coach role when his boss steps aside at the end of the season.
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The county went top of the Championship table, pending other results, with a brilliant innings win over Glamorgan inside three days at Hove.
But they know financial restrictions imposed by the ECB will soon bite.
Eight players have been told they are to be released when their current deals expire this year and others have been given extra time to weigh up contract offers.
Kirtley starred as a fast bowler during the club’s heyday in the early 2000s.
And he was man of the match on one of their greatest days when he bowled them to victory over Lancashire in the 2006 C&G Trophy final at Lord’s.
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He now works for the club as bowling coach, helping players such as England’s Ollie Robinson and new call-up Henry Crocombe.
That leaves him well aware of how coaches and players are coping with financial problems off the pitch, which came more into focus when contract talks opened on June 1.
He told The Argus: “Of course it’s tough because it’s a noise that temporarily went away and probably the volume has been raised a little bit since June 1.
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Sussex’s James Kirtley celebrates as they beat Lancashire in the C&G Trophy final at Lord’s in 2006 (Image: PA)
“What we have got is a team, as you can see, that with all the distractions and the way we’ve played, we are showing what we are capable of.
“You hope a lot of the time that we can ride out the storm but you know a lot of it is out of our control.
“Farby has been very good at bringing the team together, the coaches together and he knows that we are all going to give our all in the preparation for a game, during the game.
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“The way that the lads are supporting each other’s success, I think it’s pretty obvious how tight-knit this group is.
“An awful lot of what might happen is probably out of our control, but all we can do is commit to each day, each game this year, and give it our very best shot.”
Farbrace made it clear just before the Championship season that this would be his last as head coach.
There is now a chance he could move into a part-time director of cricket role.
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Farbrace is also involved in the appointment of his successor with the hope that the identity of the next head coach will be known next month.
Asked whether he would be interested in the role, Kirtley said: “I have a passion for quick bowling and it’s a tricky one in a lot of ways.
“I don’t think we want to get too far ahead.
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“There are plenty of moving parts, plenty of things happening in the background that probably we are not all aware of.
“The best we can do is try and be as consistent as possible.
“If we start thinking about all the ifs and buts and maybes, I think that’s where we will get derailed.
“That is where, as coaches, with Farby leading us, we focus very much on the here and now and not thinking of what might be.”
