Mayo will finally appoint a new manager next week as county secretary Dermot Butler admits an overhaul of the appointment process may be needed.
James Horan stepped down from the role after completing a second four-year stint in the aftermath of Mayo’s All-Ireland quarter-final defeat to Kerry in late June.
With the closing date for nominations for the position falling on July 29, Mike Solan, Ray Dempsey, Kevin McStay and Declan Shaw emerged as the four candidates, with each having assembled prospective backroom teams but, seven weeks after Horan stood down, there is still no manager in place.
“The rules state that this is the process which must be followed and that’s exactly what’s being done,” Butler told the Mayo News. “However, it is too drawn out and we should definitely look at shortening that going forward. Seven weeks leaves a lot of time for speculation and that’s of no benefit.”
Butler cannot take part in the process of selecting the next manager given a conflict of interest due to Stephen Rochford and Damien Mulligan, both of whom are on the McStay ticket, being Crossmolina clubmates of his.
County chairman Seamus Tuohy and treasurer Valerie Murphy are reported to be the board’s representatives on the interviewing panel along with an as yet unnamed former Mayo footballer.
The interviews will take place this weekend and will include a 20-minute presentation, with Butler saying that a decision will be made “early next week”.
He added: “We’re all looking forward to that and I’ve always said that we’ll eventually end up with the best man for the job.”
Dempsey has become the latest candidate to confirm the make-up of the backroom team that he’ll be putting forward, with former Armagh forward Oisin McConville, Enda Gilvarry, who managed Mayo to the 2013 All-Ireland minor title, ex-Kerry goalkeeper Declan O’Keeffe, former star defender Keith Higgins and James Burke, who was part of Horan’s outgoing management team, all included.
It had been speculated that ex-Kerry All-Ireland winner Paul Galvin, who is resident in Mayo, was also going to come on board with Dempsey but it hasn’t transpired.
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