McCaughey reacts to Coaching Officer concerns

OUTGOING Coaching Officer Damian Harvey believes that long term agreements being afforded to the management of Tyrone teams are blocking the path of young Acadamh coaches coming through the ranks – but his assessment has been disputed by another leading County Board official.

Harvey speaks in his Convention report about his concerns and suggests that there should be a shorter time frame given to the Minor and U20 county management roles, whether they have been successful or not.

His comments were disputed byTyrone vice-chairperson Dermot McCaughey, who has been part of the backroom team of the Tyrone U20 set up that landed two of the last three All-Ireland titles.

Cookstown man Damian Harvey claimed that “the pathway for the progression of our Acadamh coaches is limited. The appointment of Minor and Under 20 management teams and coaches for, in some cases, multiple three year terms is unfortunately having an adverse impact on the potential pathway for Acadamh coaches to progress on to the Minor and U20 management roles.

Mr Harvey then asks the question: “Has the time come to limit the Minor and U20 county management roles to two years maximum in order to ensure that we get the very best from some of the most talented coaches in the county?

“That might seem inappropriate when some management teams have delivered multiple Ulster and All-Ireland titles during their time in charge, but the bigger picture in terms of a County coaching pathway does mean it may require some serious consideration.”

Vice-chairperson Dermot McCaughey took issue with Harvey’s comments, stating that: “Paul Devlin’s teams have seen significant progression to the senior ranks during his tenure, and the two All-Ireland winning management teams are completely different from a coaching perspective.

“Paul’s U-20 teams have been in seven finals in the last six years, winning all seven, including four Ulsters and two All-Irelands. That’s not a big picture, that’s a massive picture beyond compare in Ireland. These facts deserve consideration and appreciation and it’s important to differentiate between managers and coaches, they’re completely different roles.”

“We need to look at the pathways for coaches and managers but we need to look at all factors at play, both direct and indirect. I’ve worked closely with Paul and he’s never accepted money either directly or indirectly, he’s a true volunteer.”