in 1998, vulić continued his career as a manager, with his first four spells all at hajduk. his biggest success as hajduk manager was winning the 2000–01 croatian first football league and the 2002–03 croatian football cup. in 2004, he was sacked three rounds before the end of the 2003–04 croatian first football league season even though the team was sitting at the top of the table, and it was the new manager, petar nadoveza, who ended up winning this championship with hajduk.