In 1982, van Marwijk began his transition into a manager, retiring as a player in 1988 and becoming a full-time manager. In 2002, he won the UEFA Cup with Feyenoord. Van Marwijk managed the Netherlands from 2008 until June 2012 and guided the country to the 2010 FIFA World Cup final, which was lost 1–0 in extra-time to Spain. He left this position after the Netherlands lost all of their three matches at UEFA Euro 2012. Van Marwijk is the father-in-law of former Netherlands international Mark van Bommel. He coached the Australian national team at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.