The Southern United men's head coach is back for a fourth season and is looking forward to beginning.
That wait is nearly over too as an initial group will meet for its first training session tonight.
Having reached the end of his initial three-year contract last year, the Irishman has re-signed for another three years.
Since arriving in mid-2016 he has been influential in transforming Southern into a competitive outfit.
After a tough first year, the side has finished fifth in the past two seasons.
He had not been certain on his future when asked by the Otago Daily Times at the end of last season.
While there were both pros and cons to staying, there ended up being too much of the good to leave.
The new artificial turf at Logan Park, in particular, was a big drawcard.
''It was a little bit of both, to be honest. There were difficult parts of it and parts that were exciting,'' O'Reilly said.
''The new facilities coming on board, that's very exciting.
''The challenges we've had the last three years - I think we've played and trained in nine different venues around Dunedin and outside the city in Invercargill as well.
''To actually have a home now, and it's a world-class facility - that is exciting.
''It would have been very difficult to walk away from that.''
Despite that, there were challenges.
Those were not insignificant and not all football-related either.
New Zealand is a long way from Ireland and it is lengthy trip to get back.
''I've been away from home now for nearly four years.
''I haven't been back to see my family for nearly four years.
''The way everything works here, everything happens, pre-season kicks in and it's pretty much full on.
''So that was the challenge around the life decision to stay.''
However, in the end there were ''too many positives'' to leave.
After solidifying the side's progress last season, O'Reilly hoped to make another jump this year.
No longer was the goal to be the best of the leading bunch - he wants to crack the top four.
That will be no easy task. Gaps of 11 and eight points have separated the top four from the rest in the past two seasons.
But O'Reilly is ambitious and he feels the club had made progress.
''Getting into that top four has to be the target for this year - incredibly difficult and massive challenges involved - but that's the target.
''We want to make the top four, we want a playoff place. If we can make playoff football anything can happen, that's got to be the target.
''We've still got loads of work to do.''
