Frew, 39, replaces Reinga Bloxham at the helm of the ANZ Premiership team.
"It is a surreal feeling and it probably hasn’t quite sunk in yet. This franchise just means so much to me after representing it for 16 years," Frew said.
"Even when I had approaches to play for other teams, it just never felt right in my heart. I just always loved playing for home so I feel a lot of pride right now.
"When Reinga announced her appointment to the Cardiff Dragons recently, I decided to throw my name in the hat. It has always been a goal of mine to coach the Steel and it’s a fantastic opportunity for me to give back to the franchise.
"I’ve had such an amazing career as a player and now this is the next chapter I get to write as a coach and I couldn’t be more excited to see what we can achieve together as a team.
"I am extremely humbled and honoured to lead the Steel and will work hard to ensure the franchise continues to be successful in delivering performances we can all be proud of.''
It is Frew’s first appointment at the ANZ Premiership level, having previously been a specialist coach for the Steel.
Frew, who captained the Steel to back-to-back ANZ Premiership titles in 2017 and 2018 under Bloxham’s tutelage, is no stranger to the high-performance environment vital to success.
She was eager to finalise the roster for the 2025 campaign.
"There’s no denying it has been a tough few years for the Steel but a key part has always been the fight shown to the final whistle regardless of what’s on the scoreboard. I really admire the resilience of our players and the entire team behind them,” Frew said.
Steel chief executive Sonya Fleming was thrilled to have Frew leading the next phase in the franchise’s history.
"There is simply no denying the passion Wendy has for the Steel franchise and netball as a whole in the southern region and I’m looking forward to seeing what she can bring to the role," Fleming said.
"I am confident our players will thrive under her leadership while learning from her extensive netball experience and skills.”
