Ronan McCarthy has committed to the Cork senior football manager’s job for a further two years.
There will be changes to his backroom team, however, as selector Gary O’Halloran has stepped aside for family reasons while John Hayes and Bobbie O’Dwyer have come on board.
Former Kildare manager Cian O’Neill, who was added to the management team as a coach ahead of the 2020 campaign, will continue along with selector Sean Hayes.
McCarthy was non-committal about his future in the aftermath of a disappointing Munster final loss to Tipperary on November 22 as Cork missed out on a first provincial title since 2012 having eliminated hot favourites Kerry at the semi-final stage thanks to Mark Keane’s sensational late winning goal.
The Tipp game was Cork’s only defeat in League or Championship this year as they won promotion from Division Three of the Allianz League.
McCarthy has served three years as manager, which already made him Cork’s longest-serving boss since Conor Counihan’s six-season reign came to an end in 2013 with Brian Cuthbert and Peader Healy each serving two years in the job in the interim.
New county board chairman Marc Sheehan commented: “As we all hope for a return to the top table of senior inter-county football in the near future, on behalf of the board I wish to again recognise the incredible contribution of all involved, in particular Ronan, ahead of what we hope will be a productive two years.”
