McKenna took up the two-year deal after the front runner for the position, Michael Voss, rejected a similar offer due to concerns over the length of the tenure.
Malthouse praised McKenna as a person and a coach, and expressed his hope that McKenna would continue long-term in the job.
"He's an outstanding young bloke and I sincerely hope he has the chance to coach an AFL side," Malthouse said from the Lexus Centre on Thursday.
"I'm sure he'll do a terrific job in the next two seasons and then it's up to the powers that be."
While Malthouse was quite vocal before the appointment that any prospective coach should look for a three-year deal, including one year as senior coach, he said that the opportunity for McKenna to begin his senior coaching career was too good to refuse.
“The opportunity to get your foot in the door is so important. Now he’s willing to back himself that he won’t become a 2IC (second in charge).
"As I said to him, that’s going to be the biggest factor two years down the track: does he become a 2IC to someone who might be a better name… he does all the hard yakka and finds himself handing the side over.
"I think that would be grossly unfair.”
Dean Laidley is another of Malthouse's students who has gone on to bigger things, but the veteran coach was philosophical about losing another assistant to a senior position.
“I’m starting to get a few coaches out into the work place as opposed to staying here … I’m just delighted to help some bloke get the opportunity that I did.”
Malthouse, heaping more praise on McKenna said the new Gold coast team would “go a long way” before they would find a better candidate for the job.
“He understands the game and he understands people. I believe some really good players struggle to impart their knowledge to people who may not be as skilled. And I say that because they really don’t understand what natural ability is.
"I’ve seen some wonderful players become coaches, who I’ve played with and have been total failures as coaches because they just don’t understand that people have to be taught and not everyone is on the same level.”
