Mike Solan set to lead Offaly footballers as new manager

Mike Solan is poised to take the reins of the Offaly footballers, with the county’s management committee putting his name forward as the next senior boss.

The former Longford manager, who left that role earlier this month, will go before delegates for ratification at September’s county board meeting. If approved, he’ll be handed a three-year term and the task of pushing the Faithful back into the national conversation.

He won’t be going it alone. Solan’s proposed backroom team carries serious mileage: renowned coach Joe Keane, who has worked with Mayo, Sligo and Longford, is set to come on board, while Offaly great Nigel Dunne will also join the ticket. Dunne’s stock in the county is sky-high after guiding the Offaly minors to a breakthrough Leinster title in 2025, ending a 35-year wait for provincial glory at that grade.

Solan arrives with a solid coaching résumé. Before his stint in Longford, he managed the Mayo Under-21s and was part of Andy Moran’s management team in Leitrim, building a reputation as a modern, organised operator on the sideline.

His impending appointment follows the departure of joint-managers Mickey Harte and Declan Kelly last month. Harte had weighed up staying on for another season after linking up with Kelly for the 2024 campaign, Kelly having been in place from the year before, but the pair ultimately chose to step away.

Now Offaly are set to change direction again. The next move is in the hands of the county board room – and a September vote that could define the next three seasons.