From Gallagher to Gilligan - Six candidates in line to succeed Mickey Harte as Derry manager

Derry find themselves searching for a fourth manager in a little over a year after Mickey Harte stepped down after just one season in charge.

The former Tyrone manager had initially been appointed on a three-year term, but decided against continuing after a hugely disappointing Championship campaign for the Oak Leafers.

Within hours of announcing his departure, Boylesports had priced up a list of potential successors with Rory Gallagher installed as the early odds-on favourite.

Read next: Lochlann Murray tributes paid as GAA club suspend activities following Cliffs of Moher tragedy

Read next: Mickey Harte's Derry exit prompts response from Joe Brolly and Owen Mulligan

The Derry county board are to seek nominations for the job from clubs over the coming fortnight.

We take a look at six of the leading candidates for the post and assess their suitability for one of the most coveted jobs in Gaelic football.

Rory Gallagher

For those not familiar with betting odds, Gallagher’s current price of 2/5 means there’s an implied probability of 71 per cent that he’ll be Derry’s next manager.

Gallagher had his temporary suspension from the GAA lifted in February of this year following a successful appeal to the DRA after he was “temporarily debarred” from the association until an investigation into domestic abuse allegations by his estranged wife Nicola had been concluded. Gallagher has always denied the allegations made against him.

While free to return to coaching, it remains to be seen whether the clubs will put forward his name for nomination.

Malachy O’Rourke

Glen’s All-Ireland winning manager has already said no to Derry once before.

Maybe the fact that he has already achieved All-Ireland glory will change his outlook, but it will be hard to pry O’Rourke away from the Maghera men.

He could be a man in serious demand in the coming weeks especially if a managerial vacancy opens up closer to his Ballygawley home while a number of other Ulster teams are mulling over their arrangements for next season.

If Derry are keen to get him involved, they might look to emulate rivals Tyrone in appointing joint-managers with O’Rourke able to continue with Glen until the end of their season.

Conleith Gilligan

So many managerial appointments are about timing. Malachy O’Rourke wasn’t about to abandon Glen in the middle of their Championship season last year and the same sentiment could apply to Conleith Gilligan this time around.

The Ballinderry native will be hoping Armagh’s season extends beyond this weekend after joining Kieran McGeeney’s management team ahead of the 2024 campaign.

The Orchard County face Kerry in Saturday’s All-Ireland SFC semi-final with final on Sunday, July 28.

Gilligan coached Kilcoo to All-Ireland club glory in 2022 when part of Mickey Moran’s management team before taking over the following season. He is currently involved with Tyrone outfit Edendork.

Barry Dillon

With question marks over many of the leading contenders, Barry Dillon could find himself firmly in the mix.

The Ballinascreen native has a wealth of experience from the club scene having worked with the likes of Portglenone in Antrim and Ballymacnab in Armagh and he is currently involved with Monaghan outfit Truagh Gaels.

Was also John Brennan’s assistant when the Lavey man was in charge of the Derry seniors between 2010 and 2012.

His stock rose earlier in the year when he managed Ulster University to Sigerson Cup success - a team that included a handful of Derry players, although Conor Glass and Ethan Doherty didn’t feature due to their commitments with Glen.

Damian McErlain

Was in charge of Derry for two seasons in 2018 and 2019, overseeing their relegation to and promotion from Division Four.

He made way for Rory Gallagher’s arrival in 2020 and has been Derry’s minor manager for the last two seasons in what is his second spell in that role.

He’d previously taken Derry to the minor final in 2017 when they lost to a David Clifford-inspired Kerry, but they’ve since won back-to-back minor titles and the Magherafelt clubman certainly deserves to be in the conversation at the very least.

However, the betting would suggest that he is an outsider at best and he might well opt to remain with the U17s.

Ronan Devlin

Ronan Devlin might not yet be a household name outside Ulster, but the Ballinderry clubman has a growing reputation as a top-class coach.

He has led Cargin to back-to-back Antrim titles and they’ve given Glen their fill in the last two renewals of the Ulster Club Championship.

Devlin also worked with current Derry players Eoin McEvoy and Ruairi Forbes as part of the St Mary’s Magherafelt management team when they won the MacRory Cup in 2022.

Like O’Rourke, the fact that he is already midway through the club season with Cargin might deter him from throwing his hat into the ring.

Who else is in the frame?

Ciaran Meenagh is currently third favourite for the role, but he had the chance to take the job on a permanent basis after being appointed as interim boss after Gallagher’s departure.

The Loughmacrory native is with Conor Laverty’s management team at present and will be fully focused on Saturday’s Tailteann Cup final against Laois for the time being.

Johnny McBride is 14/1 and was nominated in 2019 and may opt to allow his name to go forward again while another ex-Derry star, Enda Muldoon is 12/1 having been involved in the last two management set-ups.

Wicklow manager and former Armagh star Oisin McConville is a 16/1 chance, but has already ruled himself out of the running when speaking about Harte’s departure on the BBC GAA Social podcast earlier this week.

Sign up to our free sports newsletter to get the latest headlines to your inbox