Billy Walsh has revealed that masterminding Kurt Walker's Olympic medal fight defeat in Tokyo was "the hardest thing I've ever done".
USA featherweight Duke Ragan survived a determined Walker comeback to prevent the Lisburn man winning Ireland's fourth medal of the Games.
Overall it was a day of frustration rather than celebration for Ireland's hopefuls.
Aidan Walsh withdrew from his welterweight semi-final through injury, Rory McIlroy lost a seven-man bronze play-off as Shane Lowry's challenge faded early in the men's golf and a mistake cost gymnast Rhys McClenaghan a podium chance in the men's pommel horse.
Walsh ran Irish boxing's elite program for 12 years and, between the 2008 and 2012 Games, led the team as seven medals were won in the ring.
But he left to head up the USA Boxing programme afterwards and, yesterday, was in Ragan's corner as he earned a 4-1 victory over Walker, his former protege.
"It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done," Walsh said.
"In 2012 we brought Kurt into the Irish program for this day, and I was part of preventing him from achieving that."
Walker beat the top seed in his quarter-final bout before facing Ragan, and Walsh said: "Kurt has been the stand-out in this division at the Olympics, his coaches are the best in the world, they were my colleagues for 12 years.
"It’s been an emotional roller-coaster."
Ragan turned pro a year ago and has fought four times as a professional - and that doesn't sit well with Irish boxing's current guru Bernard Dunne.
"I don’t agree with professionals fighting in the Olympic Games," said Dunne. "But that’s not my decision to make.
"You know what, it was a great fight. It could have went either way, and I personally thought we performed exceptionally in the second and third round.
"It was a great fight. I wish him (Ragan) well. Billy is there, so we want them to go on to succeed now."
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