Jack O'Connor - New u21 Manager

[seamus]

Jack O’Connor poised for Kerry U21 return
Monday, June 22, 2015By Mortimer Murphy
All-Ireland-winning senior and minor manager, Jack O’Connor, is set to be ratified as Kerry’s new U21 football boss tonight, by County Board delegates.


O’Connor has managed the U21s before and Kerry officials are not expecting late hitches.

O’Connor will continue in his role as manager of the Kerry minor side, until they exit this year’s Championship, and then the search for a replacement will start.

Early possibilities include former Dr Crokes boss, John Galvin, who was part of Jack’s management team last year; Peter Keane, who was involved with Mikey Ned O’Sullivan, just before O’Connor’s current term; and former Kerry defender and midfielder, Tommy Griffin, from Dingle, who trained Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne, along with Eamonn Fitzmaurice, to back-to-back Hogan Cup successes.

[frankgalvintralee]

That would be great work his magic with the U21 team and back with the seniors soon!

[buck02]

Not surprising but I would have preferred him to stay on with the minors. Now for the customary first round against Cork - and with Austin Stack Park out of action another trip to Pairc Ui Rinn. No pressure Jack.

[kerrygold]

It would be some ticket if he could take both the minor and U21 teams next year.

[lár na páirce]

Jun 22, 2015 13:25:16 GMT kerrygold said:

It would be some ticket if he could take both the minor and U21 teams next year.

Although a great manager think it would'nt be wise to have him over both teams,Players need different voices,ideas etc.. to develop as footballers.

[glengael]

Back to the Future.

[onlykerry]

Merry go round spings to mind - logical turn of events so the real question is who gets the minors in 2016

[greengold35]

Sean Ban must come into the reckoning for the minor job- doing super work with Kerry South U-15s & 16s.

[kerrygold]

Jun 22, 2015 13:48:18 GMT lár na páirce said:

Jun 22, 2015 13:25:16 GMT kerrygold said:

It would be some ticket if he could take both the minor and U21 teams next year.

Although a great manager think it would'nt be wise to have him over both teams,Players need different voices,ideas etc.. to develop as footballers.

I think it would be phenomenal to have Jack in charge of both the minors and U21a in 2016 - serious preparation to being a group through to senior level.

[Mickmack]

Mickey Harte was manager of Tyrone's 1998 minor winning team. He won the u21 with them in 2001 and was installed as manager of the senior team in late 2002 and we all know what happened in 2003 with the senior team.

Jack might do the same with that exceptional minor team of 2014.
That would mean him taking over from Eamonn in 2019.....

That would give EF a nice run at the 5 in a row... 2014, 2015, 2016. 2017 and 2018.

This is a lovely dream I am having so don't wake me for a while

[kerryman22]

Jack is cute, he will have his all ireland winning team under him. He came from nowhere to get the minor job when he knew what outstanding players he would have . If they hadn't a good team he wouldn't have thrown his hat in the ring

[brigid]

Jun 22, 2015 20:07:39 GMT kerryman22 said:

Jack is cute, he will have his all ireland winning team under him. He came from nowhere to get the minor job when he knew what outstanding players he would have . If they hadn't a good team he wouldn't have thrown his hat in the ring

Very unfair comment. Jack is just a brilliant manager. I see you are new. Hope your comments will improve.

[Mickmack]

And since when is cuteness a vice in Kerry

[veteran]

Jun 22, 2015 20:07:39 GMT kerryman22 said:

Jack is cute, he will have his all ireland winning team under him. He came from nowhere to get the minor job when he knew what outstanding players he would have . If they hadn't a good team he wouldn't have thrown his hat in the ring

Could you name somebody else who would have moulded those "outstanding players" into an All-Ireland winning unit in 2014? I have seen plenty of outstanding minors play for Kerry for the past twenty years but a myriad managers have failed to win the All-Ireland with them.

Jack has "thrown his hit into the ring" at all levels with extraordinary success.

"He came from nowhere" ? You must the only one who is not familiar with his success.

It is my impression that Jack may have more than cuteness going for him!

[Mickmack]

Jack was a selector to with Paidi in 1997 and i am sure he brought something to the table back then as did Seamus Mac Gearailt.

So stretching back the guts of 20 years Jack has done outstandingly well for Kerry at all levels. We are lucky to have him still involved with Kerry. He saw leadership qualities in Eamonn Fitzmaurice too and only for that Eamonn might not be Kerrys manager today.

[kerrygold]

Jack is superb at what he does. I haven't seen a finer sideline in terms of top drawer coaching as the one when Kerry beat Cork in the recent Munster minor championship.

[homerj]

Best man for the job, hopefully He can do both.

Wonder would John Evans be worth a shot t the minors?

[greengold35]

Absolutely delighted with this news- Jack has an enviable record at all levels and will I am sure develop the potential that is within the group of upcoming players. We are indeed lucky that he has accepted this job

[himself]

Jack is the right man for the job and has a phenomenal record with Kerry teams at all grades, going all the way back to his work with the Kerry techs. He also has a record of assembling great management teams; Jack would be the first man to tell you that he doesn't do it alone. The right backroom team is vital in the modern game.
I am a bit surprised that it was announced before the minors contest the Munster Final, but I don't think this news will be any distraction for them anyway, they will be focussing on their own job.
I would completely oppose the idea of Jack, or anyone else, managing the U21s and minors simultaneously. I'm not sure if people realise exactly what a huge commitment managing a Kerry team really is. That applies across all grades, by the way, including the juniors and Kerry ladies football at the various grades. A lot of these people start before dawn and finish after dusk and do an awful lot of work and planning outside of what the public or even the players see.

[kerrygold]

Jun 23, 2015 9:35:39 GMT himself said:

Jack is the right man for the job and has a phenomenal record with Kerry teams at all grades, going all the way back to his work with the Kerry techs. He also has a record of assembling great management teams; Jack would be the first man to tell you that he doesn't do it alone. The right backroom team is vital in the modern game.
I am a bit surprised that it was announced before the minors contest the Munster Final, but I don't think this news will be any distraction for them anyway, they will be focussing on their own job.
I would completely oppose the idea of Jack, or anyone else, managing the U21s and minors simultaneously. I'm not sure if people realise exactly what a huge commitment managing a Kerry team really is. That applies across all grades, by the way, including the juniors and Kerry ladies football at the various grades. A lot of these people start before dawn and finish after dusk and do an awful lot of work and planning outside of what the public or even the players see.

The system would basically be the same, just different groups of players at different times of the year and all well know to Jack and as you stated, his excellent back room team to share the work load. Next years U21s will already have spent a couple of seasons working with Jack & his team on the various systems.

I think it would be a ground breaking move by the Kerry County Board. It is a pity to break the continuity of what we saw this year against the Cork minors. Appointing a director of underage football in Kerry would be a big step forward to maximise the facilities at the new centre of excellence.

[Annascaultilidie]

Radio Kerry Twitter says the new minor manager will be appointed in August which sounds a bit odd.

[kot]

I think the talk of Jack eyeing a 3rd tilt at the top job is a bit premature. Jack has more than done his time in the hotseat with 7 seasons across 2 terms.

Let him get on with the U-21 job over the next few years.

I personally don't think it would be good for him or Kerry to return for a 3rd stint but he has some unfinished business at this level (Waterford, 2003).

[yellowbelly]

Jack has not gone in just as U21 manager, it's a much bigger role, probably hinted at in 2014.

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

O’Connor says Kerry must appoint Director of Football
www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/football/oconnor-says-kerry-must-appoint-director-of-football-265412.html

Kerry minor manager Jack O’Connor believes county board bosses must appoint a Director of Football to ensure the Kingdom’s finest underage talents are not lost before transition to senior ranks.

All-Ireland SFC winning boss O’Connor insists such a role would aid hugely in eradicating the burnout of elite young players.

“I have been saying for a long time, that by right, there should be someone looking at the development of elite players in the county.

“Everybody wants a piece of the young elite player and there is nobody overseeing the development of the elite players, and saying ‘no, that guy cannot do that because it’s going to affect his development’ and so on.

“There is no doubt that there are players lost through burnout so we may have to take action in this county, so as to ensure that our best young players proceed up along to the senior ranks.”

Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne’s Hogan Cup journey hasn’t aided preparations for tomorrow’s provincial opener away to Clare. O’Connor, however, admits it was a welcome headache.

“A lot depends on how they come out of that Hogan Cup final. I am presuming they have come out on a high after such a brilliant win, so the adrenalin is high, but it is also very draining on the lads after their exploits in Croke Park.

“Winning might well enable them to lift it for Wednesday night’s clash and they could also have a positive effect on the rest of the squad. The scheduling of the Clare game is unfortunate coming so soon after Saturday. “You would think they could have done with a week, but that’s the hand we have been dealt.”

[stuckintipp]

Watching the U21 Munster hurling final between limerick and Clare. There is an excellent attendance, makes me wonder why the football U21 is played in awful conditions in March and April.

Why not have it as a summer competition like the hurling.

[bemane]

Totally agree with you but I'm sure someone will have a reason why it can't but from a kerry view most of these players are based in cork and limerick and are travelling down one or 2 night's a week for training in the dark nights plus trying to study for college that must take a toll on some of those player's .

[glengael]

Jul 30, 2015 18:53:19 GMT stuckintipp said:

Watching the U21 Munster hurling final between limerick and Clare. There is an excellent attendance, makes me wonder why the football U21 is played in awful conditions in March and April.

Why not have it as a summer competition like the hurling.

It used to be a summer competition. I seem to remember u-21 finals in the mid- 1990's( when we won a few of them) being played in September. Then I recall the 1998 Final being played in May so clearly it moved back until it eventually became a winter competition. 

Why or who decided this I do not know.

[Deleted]

I would love to see him do both but it takes a lot of commitment. It's hard to see who would do a good job. Kerry had a good team in 2013 too and should have beaten Tyrone.Jack was not there.It will be hard to follow him although I think there is a really good minor team there next year also. Kerry will be close in 2016.

[Seoirse Ui Duic]

I am hoping John Evans will take over the minors and Jack the U-21s.
The problem is that many want to take the job, but not too many would get the results Jack got us.

[A.N. Other]

Jack wastes no time, he already had the lads that aren't away for the summer in for fitness tests.

[Attacking Wing Back]

Jul 31, 2015 15:17:46 GMT Seoirse Ui Duic said:

I am hoping John Evans will take over the minors and Jack the U-21s.
The problem is that many want to take the job, but not too many would get the results Jack got us.

God i hope not, Evans is a bluffer of the highest order in my opinion.

Didnt do much with the Kerry U21s when he had them previously