By Ben Kunicki BBC Sport Online

Over the past two years, Somerset have enjoyed a success not seen in the county for almost two decades.

The heydays of the likes of Ian Botham, Joel Garner and Viv Richards brought about a purple patch for a county who had not previously won a trophy in their history.

Four trophies in four years was the crop they managed yet it was not until last season that Somerset successfully claimed silverware once more.

His success shows you don't have to have played 80 Tests to be an effective coach.

Vic Marks

Shine's career was cut short by injury

A former quick bowler, Shine's career was winding down prematurely due to persistent injury problems when he became involved in the Somerset coaching set-up.

Shine, still only 33 years old, was there to provide support for the first team, particularly with then-coach Dermot Reeve's absences due to media commitments.

When Reeve decided his future lay with Channel Four rather than the Cidermen, the Somerset board decided to promote Shine.

"Dermot Reeve was very keen on attention to detail," says Somerset's chief executive Peter Anderson.

New Breed

"He always tried to get some kind of advantage over the opposition.

"Kevin has that same commitment and as one of the new breed of coaches he relies on technology.

"Obviously, Kevin's not as extrovert as Dermot but after the problems he had in his own career he deals with the players very well."

Former Somerset legend and now cricket correspondent for the Observer, Vic Marks agrees with Anderson that Shine's man-management skills are good.

"He is very good at handling players," says Marks, who now serves on the Somerset committee.

"Having been quite a fiery character in his playing days I think he shows some understanding of how to treat different people.

Marks feels that Shine's relative lack of profile shows a new trend in attitudes towards coaching.

"His success demonstrates the point that you don't have to have played 80 Tests to be an effective coach.

"Often great players can become frustrated as coaches with players for whom the skills do not come quite as naturally as for them."

Vic Marks admires Shine's work ethic

Shine's commitment to the job has impressed his chief executive.

"He is very structured," says Anderson.

"Importantly he's spent time down through the age groups working with youngsters and letting them know exactly the way to do things.

Marks too pays credit to Shine's work ethic.

"He's very conscientious, going on every ECB course there is going," he remarks.

Although cricket coaches have received a higher profile in recent years due to the success of men such as Bob Woolmer and Duncan Fletcher, the job of running a team is a shared one.

Shine's relationship with Cox, the captain in all but name with Marcus trescothick regularly absent, has so far been a fruitful one with the pair complementing each other.

"You're not talking about football; the coach should dovetail with the captain and be prepared to sit back sometimes," Marks says.

"Kevin and Jamie talk easily to one another although they're different characters.

"Jamie is tough but quietly spoken as a pair they gel quite well," he adds.

"Jamie is a very easy person to get along," Anderson comments.

"But they have a division of responsibility, when the players cross the white line, that's Jamie's province."