The new Westmeath coaching team has been revealed, after the departure of county legend Dessie Dolan as manager during the summer.
Cavan man Dermot McCabe will take over as manager, with Donegal All-Ireland winner Mark McHugh part of his coaching ticket.
McCabe played for Cavan for 15 seasons and won an All-Star at wing-forward in 1997, when the county won the Ulster senior championship for the first time in 28 years.
Since retirement, McCabe has worked in coaching in his native Cavan, first with the minor team (winning an Ulster minor championship in 2011), before taking up a coaching role under Mickey Graham with the senior side. He was part of the coaching team that guided Cavan to the 2020 Ulster senior title - their first since McCabe won as a player in '97.
McCabe has also served successfully as manager of his club Gowna, guiding them to the 2022 and 2023 Cavan senior championships.
Despite his pedigree in his home county, the Westmeath job will be McCabe's first job as a senior inter-county manager. He will have the experience of an All-Ireland winner on his coaching team.
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Mark McHugh part of Dermot McCabe's coaching team at Westmeath
Donegal's Mark McHugh has joined the new coaching team in Westmeath.
Just like Dermot McCabe in 1997, Mark McHugh won an All-Star at wing-forward in 2012. That season, McHugh was instrumental in bringing Sam Maguire back to Donegal for the first time in 20 years.
23 September 2012; Mark McHugh, Donegal, lifts the Sam Maguire Cup. GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Final, Donegal v Mayo, Croke Park, Dublin. Picture credit: Ray McManus / SPORTSFILE
He would enjoy a ten-year career in the saffron and green, before moving into coaching after his retirement in 2018. He was part of the Roscommon setup during the 2023 inter-county season, before working with Moycullen in Galway this year.
McHugh will take up a role as head coach on Dermot McCabe's Westmeath coaching ticket. Westmeath said of his appointment:
McHugh, known for his tactical expertise and dedication to the game, will be a key figure in shaping the team’s future.
Together, McCabe and McHugh bring a wealth of experience, leadership, and ambition, making for an exciting chapter in Westmeath football.
Westmeath will play in Division Two of the Allianz League in 2025, with Kildare on the cards in the Leinster championship quarter-final once the league is concluded.
