O'Connor back for three-year term as Diarmuid Murphy comes on board as team selector
Wednesday September 01 2010
JACK O'Connor is back in charge of the Kerry senior football team for a third term, after the Dromid Pearses club man's re-appointment for a three-year term was ratified by club delegates on Monday.
O'Connor's two-year term officially ended with Kerry's defeat to Down in the All-Ireland quarterfinal but after some consideration O'Connor sought, and has been handed, a three-year term in order to rebuild an ailing Kerry team.
In somewhat of a surprise move O'Connor has named former Kerry goalkeeper Diarmuid Murphy ( pictured) as a selector, to replace Eamonn Fitzmaurice, who decided not to remain on in any capacity with the management team.
Ger O'Keeffe, who was a selector with Jack from 2004 to 2006 and again in 2009 and this year, remains on with the management team.
Murphy's appointment, though somewhat of a surprise, maintains a link with some of the older players in the squad, whom the Dingle man has played with, and Murphy was involved with the Kerry minor squad this year under Pat O'Driscoll as a goalkeeping coach.
O'Connor has also strengthened his back room team with Joe O'Connor coming on board as weights and conditioning coach. O'Connor was physical trainer to the Kerry senior hurling team this year.
Alan O'Sullivan will continue as team trainer, with Pat Flanagan stepping away from his role on the physical training side of things.
County Board chairman Jerome Conway said that the reappointment of Jack O'Connor was a tremendous boost for Kerry football as the next five years were crucial and he believed that every GAA supporter in the county would be delighted with return of Jack O'Connor and his management team for a three year term.
The new management team was proposed by Derry Murphy and seconded by Michael Sheehan and unanimously ratified.
- Paul Brennan
