Kovac replaced Robert Moreno on Sunday in what will be his first managerial role since being sacked by Bayern Munich in November last year.
The 48-year-old former Croatia midfielder will take charge of his first game when Monaco take on Standard Liege in a friendly game on Wednesday.
Monaco have lost their place among France’s elite in recent years, with only a ninth place finish to show for their efforts in the 2019/2020 season.
The Principality club won the Ligue 1 title and made the Champions League semi-finals in 2017 but nearly suffered relegation last year, finishing one place and two points above the drop zone.
Kovac says his plan is to make Monaco competitive once again.
"It was a surprise, it went very quick, so that's the reason why I'm only talking in English and not in French," he told a news conference.
"The reason is very easy. AS Monaco is a big, big club, with big tradition and the last years weren't so successful like they hope here.
"Our goal, our aim, is to bring back AS Monaco to the top of Ligue 1."
"Every coach has his own philosophy, his own thinking about football," Kovac added.
"In the past I played, or worked, in clubs like [Eintracht] Frankfurt or Bayern Munich. It's a different style in Frankfurt, it's another team in Munich.
"We have to adapt, we have to see, we have to take an overview of the team or the players, then we can choose the right tactics we think can help the team."
