Paddy Tally is set to become the new Derry manager, and already there are doubters who question his qualifications for the role.
There is no question that this is one of the biggest jobs in Gaelic football right now when you consider that the team are the current Division One champions, and have picked up back to back Ulster titles in 2022 and 2023, then nothing but winning trophies will be accepted.
Throw in the fact that they are dominating All-Irelands at minor level and a plethora of young talent is bursting through, then choosing the right man to oversee all of this is absolutely crucial.
Tally has previously managed Down's senior inter-county team and guided St Mary's University to a Sigerson Cup, but he is probably best known for his coaching roles with Tyrone, Derry, Down, Galway and Kerry.
The Galbally native was on the sidelines as the Red hand county lifted their first ever All-Ireland title in 2003, he was in the backroom team when Down reached the All-Ireland final in 2010, and when he was drafted into the Kerry set-up in 2022, the success was imminent as they went on to lift the Sam Maguire that season.
This makes the Tyrone native a a hugely respected coach, but there are those who question him as a manager, considering that Down are the only inter-county side that he has managed.
However, the Ulsterman has been involved in the game at the highest level for so long, that he has earned his opportunity to take on a big job like Derry.
An old extract from Mickey Harte's first book Kicking Down Heaven's Door shows you just how impressive Tally is and how long he has been performing at this level.
The book was a diary kept by Harte during the 2003 season, his first with Tyrone, and one that ultimately ended with the county climbing the Hogan steps for the first time.
Despite only being 29 years old, the now Offaly manager brought Tally in as the strength and conditioning coach and his methods helped bring the team into the 21s century in terms of their preparation on and off the field.
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Tonight was the first time most of them would have come across Paddy. They must have been impressed. He's only 29, which means he's younger than some of them, but I don't think any of them can doubt that he knows what he's talking about.
They can't doubt his conviction either. Tonight he told him, 'I'm not going to make you sprinters, distance runners, or weightlifters; my job is to make you the best Gaelic football athletes that you can be.'
He talked in technical but understandable terms about diet and hydration. They were to eat or 'reload' as he put it, within two hours of working out; there is a window there when your body is working hard to break down any carbohydrates you have, so the sooner you eat, the sooner that food is broken down and the recovery process starts.
The days of steak and chips are out; eating white meat, baked potatoes, fish and pasta is in.
Tally has worked as a selector, strength and conditioning coach, performance coach, manager, and his success with St Mary's University shows a track record of getting the best out of young footballers who are still developing.
In some ways, Tally is one of the most experienced men in the world of Gaelic football, and if he chooses his backroom team correctly, then his know-how and variety of expertise, could prove to be very successful with Derry.
