FORMER Derry and Tyrone manager Mickey Harte has agreed to join the Offaly senior footballers as a joint-manager along with Declan Kelly.
Mr Harte will co-manage with current manager Declan Kelly for three years after being recommended for the role and has been endorsed by the management committee for approval at the next county board meeting.
Harte said, “I am really looking forward to working with Declan and the players over the next three years.
“I am very aware of the history and tradition of Offaly football and believe that there is huge potential within the county.
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“I am very excited to work with Declan and the players to get the best out of the footballers in both the League and Championship in 2025.
“I would like to thank Michael Duignan for his professionalism and honesty during our meetings.”
Current manager Declan Kelly also spoke of the appointment. “This is great news for Offaly football and Offaly GAA in general.
“I look forward to working closely with Mickey. He has had huge success over the years and we hope to emulate that in the not-too-distant future”.
Michael Duignan, Offaly chair, said: “I am delighted that Mickey Harte has come on board with Declan as joint manager of the Offaly Senior football team.
His genuine interest in Offaly GAA and his wealth of experience is what I feel Offaly football needs right now.”
Harte managed Derry last year to a National League title, beating Dublin on penalties, but the Oak Leafers underperformed compared to their lofty expectations.
They lost to Donegal in the Ulster championship quarter-final and got to the All-Ireland quarter-final stage despite a loss to Galway and a hammering by Armagh in the round-robin.
The Glencall man managed Tyrone to three All-Ireland titles, six Ulster titles, 1 National League and 12 Dr. McKenna Cups during his 17 years at the helm.
He also managed the Louth footballers between 2020 and 2023.
The remainder of the Offaly management and backroom team will be finalised over the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, the future of the current Tyrone management pairing, Brian Dooher and Feargal Logan, is expected to be sorted out later this week.
The 2021 All-Ireland winning duo, who replaced Harte, signed up last year for a second three-year term that would take them up to the end of the 2026 season, but uncertainty has reigned since their disappointing last-12 exit at home to Roscommon this summer.
It’s believed that Dooher and Logan are keen to stay on but that there could potentially be changes to their backroom team.
Former All-Ireland winning players Collie Holmes and Joe McMahon have headed up their coaching team since they took over four years ago.
Having won an U21 All-Ireland with Peter Canavan in 2015, Dooher and Logan took over from Mickey Harte at the end of 2020 and in their first season brought Tyrone to the fourth All-Ireland title in the county’s history.
It has been a struggle since then, with 2023′s heavy quarter-final defeat to Kerry the furthest they’ve advanced in their other three championship campaigns.
Roscommon brought the house down in Omagh in the preliminary quarter-final this year, while their title defence in 2022 was ended at the first hurdle when they were beaten by Armagh in the first round of qualifiers.
Feargal Logan stepped away for a spell this year after suffering ill health in the early weeks of the season but was back involved during the championship.
