Jim McGuinness has confirmed he was part of a potential new Donegal management team involving Rory Kavanagh and Karl Lacey.
The former All-Ireland winning manager said that when the St Eunan’s man pulled out of the race he he was willing to assist whoever took over, but the county board never called him back.
Speaking on the Irish Examiner’s Gaelic football podcast, the 2012 Sam Maguire winner explained he had also agreed to help out with the academy U14s and Michael Murphy was also on board before Karl Lacey stepped down from his position as Donegal GAA’s Head of Academy Development.
The Glenties man was not a in a position to take the manager role but was open to joining a ticket.
“I’ve been involved at soccer at a high level for a number of years. I just finished my pro licence. Obviously, the Donegal job came up in the summer. There was a lot of people looking for me to get involved behind the scenes, wondering would I take something on or do something. When that happens, it is difficult. Obviously, your heart and soul is where you are from.”
McGuinness has been linked to various managerial jobs in recent years in Gaelic football and the League of Ireland. At one point in the search for Declan Bonner’s replacement, St Eunan’s manager Rory Kavanagh was the favourite with Karl Lacey reportedly as coach. It later emerged that he removed himself from the running.
“It was very difficult for me not to take it,” said McGuinness. “They did call me and spoke to me and asked me, I explained that. I also explained I wasn’t going away in the summer. We had come home; we made that decision as a family. I knew I would be here until the summer at least. I said I was available to do something with the team or help with the team. Rory and Karl were considering that situation, I was going to go along with them.
“Rory and Karl, for want of a better word, are your babies. They are guys you coached. I wanted to see them go on the right foot and help them,” he explained. “I said that to the county board. Then when the Rory thing didn’t work out, they never came back to me. We never had another conversation. The one thing I found disappointing about what happened was whenever they decided to put the management team they had in place, the whole thing was supposed to be a confidential process.
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