Troy Cooley has been named as Australia's interim coach for the upcoming tour of South Africa.

The former England bowling coach's appointment follows the resignation of Tim Nielsen last week after four years in the role.

"I feel excited and comfortable coming into this caretaker's role knowing that Michael Clarke, Shane Watson and Tim Nielsen have been planning this South African campaign for a while now," said the 45-year-old.

"My immediate task will be to come up to speed with their plans and work with the players and support team to ensure the preparation is spot on for a successful tour.

"My working knowledge of the Australian team and our opposition will no doubt be an asset in the short term as we look to build on the successful tour of Sri Lanka."

Cooley is currently the head coach of Cricket Australia's centre of excellence in Brisbane.