Laois GAA are hopeful of having a new county football manager in place before the senior football championship quarter-finals on the weekend after next.
Laois have been on the look out for a new manager since Mike Quirke stepped down in early July – three months ago – following Laois’s loss to Westmeath in the Leinster championship.
A four-man sub-committee was put in place in early September to help with the appointment process and a Laois GAA executive meeting was told by chairman Peter O’Neill last week that the process was ongoing.
The minutes of that executive meeting report that “he was hopeful a recommendation would be forthcoming prior to SFC quarter-finals”.
While that committee will be expected to recommend a name, it would have to be ratified at a full county board meeting. Laois were due to have a meeting on September 13 but that was postponed and will be held on Monday, October 18, instead.
Laois are currently one of seven counties without a football manager in place for the 2022 season along with Wicklow, Longford, Leitrim, Waterford, Cork and Down.
Former Laois footballer Billy Sheehan is understood to have been nominated for the vacancy by one of the local clubs.
Offaly native Pat Flanagan – who managed Offaly, Westmeath and Sligo – and Kerry’s John Evans – who has been over Tipperary, Roscommon and Wicklow – have both been linked with the role too.
Former Laois manager John Sugrue has also been mentioned in connection with the position as has Kildare’s Davy Burke, who was overlooked for the Kildare job last week that was given to Glen Ryan.
Another man who looked certain to get the Kildare job a few weeks ago, Tom Cribbin, could also now be in the mix. He managed Laois in 1999 and 2000.
Meanwhile, Laois are also on the lookout for a new minor manager following Mark Bates’ departure with Laois GAA Games Manager Mike Henchy and Coaching Officer Fergal Byron overseeing that appointment.
The recent executive minutes stated that a “recommendation would be forthcoming in the next fortnight”.
SEE ALSO – All of this week’s Laois GAA fixtures as hurling goes centre stage once more
