It's over two months since Mickey Harte's departure was confirmed and Derry are yet to find his replacement.
Harte's arrival in Derry last winter was acrimonious, with the fierce rivalry between the Oak Leaf County and Harte's native Tyrone causing fierce opposition to the move on both sides of the divide.
Léigh an scéal seo anois trí Ghaeilge ar Liathróidí.ie
Ultimately, the three-time All-Ireland winning manager lasted only a year, with Derry's April league final win over Dublin proving to be the highlight of a disappointing season. Harte stepped aside quietly at the beginning of July, though Derry are yet to find anyone to fill the void.
One of the names mentioned in the discussion is former Mayo manager James Horan, out of work since exiting the Westerners setup in the summer of 2022.
Horan addressed the rumours on this week's Irish Examiner Gaelic football podcast, firmly shutting down any suggestion that he could be moving to the Ulster county.
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James Horan confirms he will not be the new Derry manager
26 June 2022; Mayo manager James Horan before the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Quarter-Final match between Kerry and Mayo at Croke Park, Dublin. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
Host Paul Rouse asked James Horan on this week's Examiner Gaelic Football show whether he had been appointed Derry manager, citing rumours he had seen online.
We might just hold it right there - you said you read it on the internet, have you not been reading what's been happening with Camilla and Donald and reading all the lies and everything else? You answered the question yourself, if you read it on the internet, it's got to be true.
No is the answer. I'm not the new Derry manager - what a team to be manager of, though!
Horan recently spoke of the ever-increasing demands on Gaelic football managers, perhaps explaining why he has not entered into the race for the Derry job.
The wait for the new Derry manager is ticking into "concerning" territory for fans of the county, with no sign of a replacement for Mickey Harte ten weeks after his departure.
Horan was not alone in being linked with the job, with Glen bainisteoir Malachy O'Rourke and Kerry's Paul Keane among the other names reportedly in the mix to take over from Harte (O'Rourke has since been appointed as Tyrone manager).
After ruling himself out of the running, Horan said he was intrigued to see how Derry handled the search for a new manager, with time running out to give the new man ample time to prepare for the 2025 season.
You know I'm not going to answer that...I'll tell you what, it's going to be an interesting appointment.
They're running out of time...a team as serious as Derry, with the players they have, particularly the underage coming through, I'm sure they're gunning hard to get their person in place. They need to get that done as quick as they can, I'm sure they're working hard on it.
For a county that entered the 2024 campaign with high hopes of going all the way for Sam Maguire, things have certainly changed for Derry, who are now scrambling to lay the foundations for 2025.
You can listen to the full Examiner football pod right here.
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