Kerry captain not letting Jack O’Connor go easily after retirement claims
Such was Kerry’s dominance in 2025, that manager Jack O’Connor’s post-match retirement claims still came as a shock, despite hinting at it earlier in the year.
Speaking on RTÉ Radio One after yesterday’s All-Ireland SFC final win over Donegal, O’Connor indicated that he might step down from his position.
He revealed: “I’m a long time at it, and we might be passing the baton on to somebody else.”
Speaking with the Irish Independent earlier in the year, he had said: “I’ve done 10 years over three different periods. I never overstay my welcome. I do think that players need a new voice after three or four years.
“That’s the cycle. If you stay beyond that you are pushing it a bit. We’ll throw whatever we can at it and see where it takes us.”
Kerry captain and Player of the Match, Gavin White, was asked about his boss stepping down, but said: “I wasn’t aware of that, but I’ll have to have a chat with him tonight and try to twist his arm a small bit.”
"You can't beat panel spirit. We said what happened to Cork last week wouldn't happen to us."
Kerry boss Jack O'Connor looks back on winning the final #sundaygame pic.twitter.com/GiIOlJgZeB
Kerry GAA chairman Patrick O’Sullivan seemed to suggest that O’Connor would not be leaving.
He added: “That chat will happen after.
“He’s a poker player. no one goes on a day you win. Couple of days, couple of weeks later you might make up your mind but the way things are at the moment, everything’s status quo.”
O’Connor is in his third stint as manager of the Kingdom.
He stepped down in 2006 after winning All-Ireland titles in 2004 and 2006, before taking the reigns again in 2009 and winning another title that year.
He left once again in 2012, despite pressure from the county board for him to stay, but was back in the job in 2021, and has led the current crop to two titles.
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