In the aftermath of the intercounty GAA season, a number of GAA managerial position remain to be filled. No vacancy in gaelic football is more coveted than the role of Derry manager.
The Division One champions were believed to be on the cusp of All-Ireland contention when the wheels came off after defeat to Donegal in Ulster.
Derry GAA will face a hugely important decision over the coming weeks: whether or not to re-appoint Rory Gallagher as manager.
As soon as Mickey Harte stepped down after his often disastrous year as Derry boss in July, Gallagher was linked to the position.
Gallagher enjoyed massive success with the Oak Leaf county, leading Derry to the Ulster title in 2022.
However he stepped back from the role in the days before the Ulster final the following year, after allegations of domestic abuse over a period of 24 years by his former partner Nicola.
Gallagher released a statement last May saying those allegations had been 'investigated and dealt with by the relevant authorities'.
The Fermanagh man had been "temporarily debarred, without prejudice" last September while an independent safeguarding panel investigated those allegations on behalf of Ulster GAA.
The barring order was lifted in February of this year after a hearing before the GAA's Disputes Resolution Authority, and Gallagher was free to return to coaching.
Cahair O'Kane reported in this week's Irish News that Gallagher is believed to be the clear front runner to succeed Mickey Harte as Derry manager.
Former Derry player speaks out against Rory Gallagher
A former Derry All-Ireland winner has expressed his unease at the prospect of Gallagher returning to Derry.
Gary Coleman - one of Derry's All-Ireland heroes of 1993 - told the Irish News on Friday that he will not attend a match involving his own county if Gallagher is re-appointed.
“I won’t go to another Derry match if he is manager.
“An All-Ireland with Rory Gallagher as manager under these circumstances is not worth an All-Ireland in my eyes.
Coleman played for a decade with Derry and his father was the great Eamonn Coleman, the man who delivered Derry their only All-Ireland success. He won an All Star in 1993, playing the position of left half back.
Coleman had much more to say on the matter and you can read the full interview with him here.
Joe Brolly wrote in his Sunday Independent column last year that his Derry teammates from 1998 planned to boycott the jubilee ceremony ahead of the 2023 Ulster final if Gallagher was on the sideline.
It will be interesting to see if any former Derry players will join Coleman in taking this public stance over the next few days.
