LAST UPDATE | 30 Aug 2023
INCOMING WEXFORD HURLING manager Keith Rossiter has named an impressive backroom team after his ratification at the county board meeting on Tuesday night.
After his proposal was announced on 18 August, the Oulart-The-Ballagh clubman was appointed on a three-year term. He brings significant management experience having brought the U20 county team to the last two Leinster finals, while he served as selector for the senior team from 2017 to 2021.
The head coach will be David Franks. A former Offaly hurler, towards the end of his career he relocated to the south east and played for Carrickshock in Kilkenny.
He enjoyed significant success with Waterford’s Ballygunner, forming the management team with Darragh O’Sullivan in their 2022 All-Ireland club winning season and their dominance in the county shows little sign of slipping as they proceed to the semi-finals this weekend.
Frank Flannery is appointed as skills coach. He managed the Oulart team that captured the clubs’ first Leinster provincial title back in 2015, with Rossiter at full-back.
A native of Cork, Flannery is currently coaching his home club Carrigtwohill but he has a breadth of experience that takes in spells with Waterford and Cork senior hurlers, Cork divisional football side Duhallow, and a spell with Milford camogie when they won an All-Ireland title.
An inclusion sure to pull at the heartstrings is Damien Fitzhenry as goalkeeping coach.
The Duffry Rovers man spent 18 seasons in the county colours and was the goalkeeper for their All-Ireland triumph in 1996, regarded as among the greatest shot-stoppers to have ever played the position.
Another member of management team confirmed is former Wexford player Eanna Martin who retired in 2020. He enjoyed club success as a player with Cork’s Sarsfields and was involved in Wexford U20 coaching recently alongside Rossiter.
Fans of the Purple and Gold will be expecting an upturn in fortunes after a miserable season in 2023 under Darragh Egan, where they won only one league game – against Westmeath, before a miserable Leinster campaign.
