As the club GAA season clicks into gear, many inter-county teams are still on the hunt for new management.
With reports on Wednesday suggesting that Malachy O'Rourke is on the verge of becoming Tyrone's new bainisteoir, another piece has fallen into place but there is still much to be figured out by the time next year's Allianz League campaign gets underway.
Major players such as Derry, Monaghan, and Meath are among those yet to appoint a football manager for 2025. Though there is still plenty of time to go until counties start to prepare for 2025, there will be an anxious wait in store for fans of those counties before a new contender is appointed.
Speaking to the Irish Examiner this week, ex-Mayo manager James Horan has pinpointed a key reason he believes the managerial merry-go-round has become especially hectic, highlighting the ever-growing demands on inter-county managers.
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James Horan explains changing demands for GAA managers
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
James Horan led Mayo in two separate stints as manager, bringing the county to All-Ireland finals in 2012, 2013, 2020 and 2021. He would exit the role for a second time after defeat to Kerry in the All-Ireland quarter-final in 2022.
On this week's Examiner football podcast, Horan explained the changes he had noticed in the GAA landscape from first taking the Mayo job in 2010 to his second departure in 2022.
The two-time All-Star explained that the social media landscape had dramatically changed over the past decade, as had the time commitments expected of inter-county managers.
Horan shared his belief that these factors were contributing to a dip in the numbers of candidates available to counties.
There is so much noise. It is not a settled time at all. I think it is getting crazier every year. I remember when I started after coming in 2011, it was brilliant. Social media wasn’t what it was. Expectation wasn’t what it was, the demands weren’t there.
The intercounty manager is a tough gig now. I sense there are fewer people willing to put themselves forward. Because of time, the impact on family, yourself, your mental well-being, your job, the impact is total.
There are fewer people who meet that profile now. It is getting tougher for managers.
It's hard to argue with Horan's point that GAA managers are under far more scrutiny than they were in the early days of social media.
Horan went on to suggest that it was becoming almost impossible for managers to juggle coaching jobs will their full-time occupations.
Time will tell what impact this will have on the 2025 managerial movements. You can listen to the full Examiner Gaelic Football show here.
SEE ALSO: Malachy O'Rourke Reportedly Set To Be Named Next Tyrone Manager
