Matthew Tipton has led Warrenpoint Town and Portadown to promotion from the Championship and he is aiming to make it a hat-trick for Ards.
The former striker replaced John Bailie in the dugout last month and midfielder Gary Donnelly has explained how his first message to the players was that they would be aiming for promotion.
Ards undoubtedly have one of the most talented squads in the division but went on a horror run of just three wins in 17 matches earlier this campaign – seeing them plummet from league leaders down into sixth position.
Read more: Matthew Tipton opens up on Portadown exit and sets out stall with new club Ards
They have now won back-to-back home games after five months without a win at Clandeboye Park and have lost just one of their five.
“The first thing the boss told the players is that we would be getting promoted,” Donnelly – who joined the club from Ballyclare in January – told Match on Tuesday.
“He has been about the Premiership for years and he is not going to drop down into the Championship unless he believes the club and group of players have enough about them.
“We have lots of players who have been at the top clubs in the Premiership but quite a few of us would have had that taste of first-team football with those clubs, but most of us had not actually won trophies in senior football.
“It is important to get that winning mentality into all the players and the mindset and expectation of always getting results.
“We have the best squad of individuals in the league but getting them to play together has been the obstacle this season.”
Despite their league position, there is still an outside chance that Ards could make the playoff spot – they are just six points off third spot with six games to play.
This weekend’s games are pivotal – an Ards defeat at the Welders, coupled with Dergview winning at Ballinamallard, would see Tipton’s side miss out on a top six finish, but a win at the Blanchflower stadium would see them leapfrog the Welders into fifth.
“Next week is crucial for us to get over that line because you cannot rule anything out after that – we are only six points off the top three,” added Donnelly.
“There are 18 points still up for grabs and of course it is going to be tough, but that means you are in the mix if you start to hit form at the right time.
“You never know what might happen with club licenses either, because you can finish third or fourth but a team above you might not have the right criteria and that would open the door to us.”
Whatever the outcome of this season, Ards will know they must be more consistent going forwards – having not recorded successive victories across the past five months.
Speaking after a 5-2 win over Knockbreda on Saturday, Donnelly warned: “We scored five goals at home to Ballyclare then we go and lose by four at Newry, so we need to be mindful of that.
“It was the same after we won at Loughgall, we lost our next game and did not win in three after that.
“So we have had performances where we play really well but we have not followed that up with what we should be doing.
“Your home form is the most important thing and we went five months without a home win, so at least we are now rectifying that and it should give us something to build on.”
Ards now travel to the Welders on Saturday in what could prove to be the defining game of their entire campaign.
Read more: Northern Ireland playing Euro 2028 games in Belfast would be "unreal", says Ali McCann
Read more: Former Linfield forward Paul Smyth says anger inspired Leyton Orient screamer
Sign up to our free sports newsletter to get the latest headlines to your inbox.
