The last-placed Jets sacked their veteran coach Ernie Merrick on Monday, off the back of Sunday's 4-0 thumping from Melbourne Victory.

Jets CEO Lawrie McKinna revealed some agents were sending in coaching clients' resumes even before the final whistle.

"After the third goal on Sunday night we had six CVs actually coming through during the game, which I think's quite rude," McKinna said on Tuesday.

"We'll be looking all over. And again, today, yesterday, the emails started coming through - phone calls started coming.

"There's a lot of interest out there for any A-League job and some of the names... I got one of the ex-English manager, I got Sven-Goran Eriksson's CV get sent through yesterday," McKinna said.

Now aged 71, Eriksson most recently coached the Philippines last year after a stint in China with top-flight sides Guangzhou R&F and Shanghai SIPG.

McKinna said the club was open to candidates from both Australia and overseas.

"We need someone who's going to come in and offer something, has got a bit of a track record and can stamp something here and be here for the right reasons as well," he added

"So there's going to be interest from all over but there's no defined (type of coach) - we want somebody who can come in and fit into the Newcastle culture and get results."

McKinna said it was his decision to sack Merrick, with chairman Martin Lee approving his call.

The timing was based on the belief the Jets could still make finals.

W-League coach Craig Deans and A-League assistant Qiang Li have taken the reins on an interim basis.

McKinna said he hoped to have a permanent coach in place by Newcastle's clash with Wellington on January 24, while there would be money available to bring in a player in the transfer window after the new mentor is appointed.

The Jets have been up for sale for a year, but McKinna said he had a gut feeling Lee - who has knocked back two offers for the club - could yet take them off the market and focus on "stablising things".

Lee's company, Ledman Group, has been affected by the trade tariff war between the United States and China.

Australian Associated Press