Football job: Maughan in the running with Flanagan, but Ryan bows out
Jason Ryan has ruled himself out of the running for the position of county senior football manager.
The former Wexford boss, who joined Kieran McGeeney’s coaching staff in Kildare this season, has said that while it “remains to be seen” if he will stay with the Lilywhites next season, he won’t be managing a team of his own “in any county next year”.
Former Westmeath manager Luke Dempsey has also ruled himself out of contention for the Westmeath job.
The 1995 minor and 1999 U21 All Ireland winning manager, who is currently managed Moorefield in Kildare, told the Westmeath Examiner that although he would like to return in “some capacity” to the Westmeath inter-county set up in the future, Pat Flanagan’s interest in remaining in charge was “enough reason for me not to run in this race”.
One man though who appears interested in the job is John Maughan. When asked last week by RTÉ’s Gavin Jennings if there was any truth in the speculation, the former Mayo boss declined to rule himself out of contention saying: “I went to school in Westmeath and I’ve a lot of friends there.”
Maughan, who was speaking at an event in Dublin previewing last Sunday’s semi-final clash between Tyrone and Mayo, attended the Carmelite College in Moate and won a Hogan Cup in 1980 as a boarder there alongside Galway’s Val Daly.
His non-denial provoked laughter amongst the crowd at the event in Dublin’s Gresham Hotel, with his fellow panelist John O’Mahony quipping: “I think the bookies will be closed after that!”
A native of Crossmolina, the former army man brought his native county to the All-Ireland decider in 1996, 1997 and 2004 during two separate stints, has also managed Clare, Fermanagh and Roscommon.
Chairman Sean Sheridan told the Westmeath Examiner that the identity of the senior football manager for next season will be announced at the next county board meeting on September 4.
In addition to Flanagan and Maughan, former Dublin footballer Jack Sheedy is also in the running.