Far from it. This is O’Connor’s third stint at the Kerry senior job and he’s already in the exclusive club to win All-Irelands at minor, U-21/20 and senior grade. He was in charge of Kildare for the last two seasons.
Hopes?
An All-Ireland win for the conveyor belt of talent that won five minor titles in a row. They’ll struggle to accept anything else.
Fears?
An injury to David Clifford, which arguably cost them a place in last year’s All-Ireland final. Or another championship defeat at the hands of Ulster opposition.
Who is with him?
Former Laois manager Micheál Quirke, former Kerry goalkeeper Diarmuid Murphy and, most notably, Tyrone native and former Down boss Paddy Tally.
Anything else?
David Moran might be in the autumn of his career and he’s going to miss the early part of the season. Do Kerry have a ready-made replacement?
James McCartan
(Down)
Is he a new kid on the block?
No. Like O’Connor he’s back on old stomping ground and this is his second stint as Down manager, having brought them to an All-Ireland final in 2010.
Hopes?
That the return of one of their most celebrated figures can reignite the county – and that they can build on last year’s U-20 Ulster win, their first at any of the three major grades in 12 years.
Fears?
Now almost 30 years without an Ulster title, the fear is that they are too far off the pace in Ulster to make any real inroads. The last three seasons have seen them win once (against Fermanagh) in four outings in the province.
Who is with him?
Armagh’s Aidan O’Rourke is alongside him, as he was in their previous stint. There’s a further Armagh connection, with former Orchard stopper Philly McEvoy in as goalkeeping coach.
Anything else?
Former skipper Niall McParland, who played under McCartan in his first stint as manager, is back in tow after time spent teaching abroad.
Billy Sheehan
(Laois)
Is he a new kid on the block?
Yes. Sheehan was well-travelled in his playing career, lining out in Kerry, Laois, Dublin and Clare. He also coached in backroom teams in Cork and Offaly, but this is his first time to take charge of a county side.
Hopes?
Promotion from Division 3 would be the perfect start. Wins over Wicklow and Meath would see them into a Leinster semi-final. Both are ambitious, but neither are outlandish.
Fears?
Not much room for error in a tight-looking Division 3, where momentum can shift quickly. They might also play Tailteann Cup football. How well received or promoted will that competition be?
Who is with him?
The presence of one of the county’s best of recent times, in Brian ‘Beano’ McDonald, is welcome. Gerry McGill, who worked under Tomás Ó Flatharta, is part of the set-up. Former player Chris Conway is also on board.
Anything else?
In Ross Munnelly, Laois have the longest-serving player in the game. Munnelly won a Leinster with the county in 2003, the season before Sheehan moved up from Kerry to play for Laois.
Billy O’Loughlin
(Longford)
Is he a new kid on the block?
Yes. O’Loughlin is an experienced coach/manager, spending much of his time taking teams at third-level and club level while he brought Laois U-20s to a Leinster final in 2019, but this is his first time operating at county senior level.
Hopes?
Based on O’Loughlin’s public utterances, their ambition seemed to be set on promotion from Division 3, as he branded the Leinster Championship “defunct”. “We are placing little to no emphasis on it,” he said. “It’s all about the league.”
Fears?
Is last year’s patchy form a sign of things to come? They beat Tipperary to stay up in Division 3, and saw off Carlow in Leinster before a 22-point hammering at the hands of Meath.
Who is with him?
An eye-catching group that includes former handball world champion Paul Brady, former Mayo footballer Aidan Kilcoyne and another former Cavan player in Mickey Hannon as coach.
Anything else?
O’Loughlin is the second member of his extended family to manage Longford. He is a nephew of Luke Dempsey, who is now in charge of Kells-based club Gaeil Colmcille.
Colin Kelly
(Wicklow)
Is he a new kid on the block?
No. This is Kelly’s third job in county football, following on from stints with his native Louth, where he oversaw promotion from Division 4 to Division 2 in consecutive years. He also had a season in charge of the Westmeath footballers.
Hopes?
Wicklow summoned the necessary spirit to see off then Ulster champions Cavan to retain their Division 3 status, and Kelly has a track record of earning promotions.
Fears?
Kelly indicated that 14 of their U-20 squad were involved with his senior side at this stage, so patience might be required.
Who is with him?
There’s a strong Mayo influence here, with former Mayo footballer Alan Costello acting as manager of the U-20s and selector. Another ex-Mayo player Austin O’Malley, who also played for Wicklow, is also on board.
Anything else?
Kevin Quinn, nephew of the county’s only All-Star Kevin O’Brien, has been in good early-season form. Former Dublin All-Ireland winner Nicky Devereux is on board once again for the Garden County.
Johnny McGeeney
(New York)
Is he a new kid on the block?
Yes. A former New York player, and Culloville native, McGeeney made a small piece of history when guiding St Barnabas to back-to-back New York titles with a team made up entirely of American-born players.
Hopes?
That the pandemic, which prevented the usual influx of players from this side of the pond, will have helped make the New York scene more self-sufficient.
Fears?
That two years out of inter-county action will have caused significant damage, and leave the Exiles even further behind.
Who is with him?
Down All-Ireland winner from 1991 Gareth Bailie, Brian Henry (Sligo), Tommy Quaid (Kerry) and Michael Caterson (Tyrone).
Anything else?
New York are looking at putting a team into the All-Ireland junior football championship, where they’d like to select only from players who came through their own youth system.
Kieran Donnelly
(Fermanagh)
Is he a new kid on the block?
Yes, in so far as this is his first time in a county manager’s job, but Donnelly worked in Fermanagh during Peter Canavan’s stint there. He also tasted success when managing Scotstown, and led them to an Ulster final.
Hopes?
That the appointment of a Fermanagh native can help them recover the league form that saw them flirt with the idea of promotion to Division 1 a few seasons ago.
Fears?
Preliminary-round clash with Tyrone is as difficult as it could have gotten in terms of the championship, while Eoin Donnelly’s retirement is a blow.
Who is with him?
Fermanagh servant of 19 years Ryan McCluskey is on board, as is Fearghal Quinn as assistant manager. Leon Carters (S&C), Pat Cadden (goalkeeping coach). Ger Treacy, Niall Smyth and Stephen Jackson have also been drafted in.
Anything else?
Derrygonnelly’s run to the Ulster Club SFC final could give them hope as it was the first time since 2002 that an Erne club side reached the decider and only the fourth time in total.
Ephie Fitzgerald
(Waterford)
Is he a new kid on the block?
Yes, in terms of managing a senior men’s football side, but Fitzgerald has been in charge of the likes of Nemo Rangers and also steered the Cork ladies footballers for a few seasons.
Hopes?
That Fitzgerald’s experience of the county, having worked under Tom McGlinchey, will help him hit the ground running, and that the introduction of the Tailteann Cup can give them a longer and more meaningful season.
Fears?
That Waterford are always swimming against the tide and will continue to struggle for traction.
Who is with him?
Interestingly, former ladies Mayo manager Peter Leahy is on board.
Anything else?
Fitzgerald swapped roles with Shane Ronayne, who was in charge of Waterford last year but now manages the Cork ladies.
Andy Moran
(Leitrim)
Is he a new kid on the block?
Yes. Only a few seasons have passed since Moran was playing for Mayo (2019), but he was in joint charge of his native Ballaghadereen for 2021.
Hopes?
That Moran’s appointment can give them a boost and that they are one of the counties that could really benefit from competing in a second-tier competition.
Fears?
That last year’s heavy defeat to Mayo, which amplified the debate around a tiered championship, will leave a hangover.
Who is with him?
Former Leitrim players Barry McWeeney and James Glancy are on board, as is Mike Solan who steered Mayo to an All Ireland U-21 title in 2016.
Anything else?
One of the county’s most talented players of recent times, Emlyn Mulligan, is back in harness after not being part of the set-up for the last couple of seasons under Terry Hyland.
Keith Ricken
(Cork)
Is he a new kid on the block?
Another who is new to this level, but he had helped the county to an All-Ireland U-20 title.
Hopes?
That Ricken’s player-first philosophy brings the best out of a county who have been further down the pecking order than they should be at times. Promotion from Division 2 is attainable.
Fears?
That Kerry are in the cusp of a period of dominance in Munster, which might hamper Cork’s development.
Who is with him?
Ricken has assembled a strong side that includes Ray Keane, brother of former Kerry manager Peter, John Cleary and James Loughrey amongst others.
Anything else?
It’s notable that the hero of their 2020 Munster semi-final win over Kerry, Mark Keane, packed in the final year of his AFL contract but has thrown his lot in with the Cork hurlers.
Glenn Ryan
(Kildare)
Is he a new kid on the block?
No. Ryan is a Kildare legend and had some success with the county’s U-21s as manager, reaching the 2008 All-Ireland final. He was drafted in by Longford in the early part of the last decade and only gets his shot at managing his native county in the wake of Jack O’Connor’s departure to the Kingdom.
Hopes?
That Ryan’s long-awaited ascension to the top job can inspire a county who are consistent only in their struggle for consistency.
Fears?
That a tough campaign in Division 1 could derail any early-season optimism. Their last trip to the top flight saw them depart with zero points from seven games, albeit they recovered to make the ‘Super 8s’ that season.
Who is with him?
A heavyweight-looking backroom team includes some of Kildare’s most revered names of recent times including Anthony Rainbow, Johnny Doyle, Brian Lacey and Dermot Earley. Paul Galvin’s acquisition adds stardust to the set-up.
Anything else?
Kildare have won 15 All-Stars in history. The new management team account for a third of that total.
