FIFTEEN months after vacating the senior post at Carlton, Denis Pagan is a coach again.

Pagan, 60, will lead the TAC Cup's Northern Knights in 2009, a far cry from his days as coach of North Melbourne that saw two premierships from seven consecutive preliminary final berths.

And despite his decorated resume, he is looking forward to the influence he can have on the under-18 side that finished on the bottom of the ladder this season.

"I just think I can help some young men achieve their dream and make it a little bit easier to get drafted by an AFL club," Pagan told Wednesday's The Age.

"You can talk about the 'Y Generation' and how they might have changed, but at the end of the day everyone's an individual, and you've got to find the right buttons to press.

"It's a part-time role, although I'll probably make it full-time.

"[It's] like a mini-AFL club anyway," he added of the Knights' set-up.

Pagan coached North Melbourne's under-19s to five flags before embarking on an enviable senior career that took a disappointing turn when he joined the Blues at the end of 2002.

Four full seasons saw four wins and 15th place first-up, followed by 11th in 2004 and wooden spoons in 2005 and 2006.

Current Carlton coach Brett Ratten took the reins for the last six rounds of 2007 after Pagan was sacked, but found no joy en route to another finish of 15th.

Pagan shared 2008 between business ventures and directorship of the North Melbourne board, only for chairman James Brayshaw to confirm last week that his man would stand down to pursue coaching aspirations.