Eamonn Fitzmaurice is intent on staying on for two more years. Against the advice of Pat Spillane, might we add. Nonetheless, we set about looking at some alternative candidates for the Kerry job in future years. Here are some potential successors (of varying degrees of likelihood).
Jack O'Connor
After two spells as Kerry manager, O'Connor sat out 2013 altogether. Ears pricked up when it was announced that he was taking over as Kerry minor manager for the 2014 season. Where else but Kerry does a senior All-Ireland winning manager step down to take over the minors? He guided a hugely talented minor crop to two All-Irelands in two years and moved onto the U21 grade for 2016.
The presumption is he took over at minor grade so he would be on track to take over the seniors when the younger players come of age.
In silverware terms, he is already the most successful Kerry manager after O'Dwyer (in the modern era). Though, if we accept O'Dwyer as the first proper Kerry manager in the modern sense, there have only been seven in total. He mined three All-Ireland titles from seven years in charge between 2004 and 2012 (stepped aside for Pat O'Shea for the '07 and '08 seasons).
At this point, a strong favourite to take over when Fitzmaurice does move along.
Likelihood = Very, very strong.
Liam Kearns
Kearns won a minor All-Ireland title with Kerry in 1980. Interestingly, grom the starting XV that beat Derry in that final, only Ambrose O'Donovan and Willie Maher went on to win senior All-Irelands.
The rest struggled to break into the senior team with the ageing golden era guys remaining stubbornly in place. Kearns himself only got League time at senior level.
His managerial career has largely been made outside of Kerry. After club success in Limerick, he was handed the senior job. While great and noteworthy progress was made, there were no great scalps. Kerry and Darragh O'Sé denied them in the 2004 Munster Final.
He later managed Laois in the late noughties. Several Laois players have attested to his positive role. He led them to the Leinster Final in 2007, but they were beaten by six points by Dublin. 2008 was a downer as Wexford took them out in the provincial semi-final and Down ended them in the qualifiers.
He executed the managerial coup of the summer by leading a Tipp team short of a few key players to the All-Ireland semi-final.
Kerry going for Kearns might be a leap. They usually prefer internal appointments.
Stephen Stack
The only player whose career bridged the gap between Kerry's 1986 and 1997 All-Ireland wins, Stack won the Munster club title with Austin Stacks in 2014.
They were beaten by Slaughtneil in a thriller in the All-Ireland semi-final.
After receiving a pasting from Dr. Crokes in the 2013 county final, Stack and William Kirby resolved the come back stronger the next year, while "blind drunk" in Connolly Park.
William Kirby said to me last year, when the two of us were absolutely blind drunk on the counter of Connolly Park inside in our own club park, he banged the counter and said “Stephen we just have to work harder!” and we all felt the same. We were prepared to make the sacrifices this year.
An outsider for the Kerry job as he has not been part of the senior setup since his playing days.
Maurice Fitzgerald
The romantic choice for outsiders. His apparent shyness with the media seemed to imply that Maurice Fitz would be a wrong fit for manager.
But has done a fantastic job with the Cahirciveen side, leading them to the All-Ireland intermediate club title in 2015-16. They downed Mayo side Hollymount-Carramore in the final.
It is a competition that Kerry clubs have traditionally thrived in, largely owing to the shape of their club championship.
Peter Keane
Legion's Peter Keane assumed control of the Kerry minors this year. Taking over from J'OC was a daunting task. While Kerry had gone two decades without a minor title before his return, O'Connor immediately won two on the bounce. But Kerry have arguably looked just as impressive at the grade this year under Keane. Galway await in the minor final.
Last year, he managed Legion to the senior county final, losing to South Kerry in the final. Despite this, they did end up in the Munster club.
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