Former Dublin player and coach Jason Sherlock will be part of Dessie Dolan’s Westmeath backroom team.
Newly-appointed Dolan’s full management team has been ratified by the county board and Sherlock comes on board in the role of performance coach.
He had been linked with the Monaghan manager’s job earlier this year after Seamus McEnaney stood down but the job eventually went to Vinny Corey.
Sherlock, an All-Ireland winner as a player in 1995, joined Jim Gavin’s Dublin management team as a forwards coach after the All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Donegal in 2014 and remained on board until the end of Gavin’s tenure in 2019 as the five-in-a-row was completed.
Although it doesn’t appear that his role will involve any on-field coaching, his acquisition will be seen as something of a coup on Dolan’s part as he steps up to replace Jack Cooney as manager.
Cooney had to vacate the role despite leading Westmeath to the first Tailteann Cup title earlier this year as he was taking up a full-time role in Croke Park. Dolan, who was one of his selectors, was chosen as his replacement in the interests of continuity and much of Cooney’s management team remains in place.
John Keane, Cathal Mullin and Mick Dillon will be selectors and will also hold various coaching roles, while Andy Meares will be the strength and conditioning coach.
Westmeath will start 2023 in Division Three of the Allianz Football League but, as Tailteann Cup holders, are guaranteed a spot in the new-look All-Ireland series next year regardless of how they fare in the League.
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