MAYO MANAGER KEVIN McStay has made a number of the backroom appointments, which include Stephen Cluxton’s former goalkeeping coach and a strength and conditioning coach who has worked with Kiwi Super Rugby side the Chiefs.
Mike Finnerty of the Mayo News has reported that Gary Matthews will take up the role of goalkeeping coach with Mayo. Matthews, a former League of Ireland goalkeeper, worked with Dublin for six years and was Cluxton’s coach in 2011 and 2012.
West Clare man Owen Tarrant will take up a strength and conditioning role. He has an impressive CV which includes the Chiefs and the Munster rugby academy. Tarrant is the current head of performance at Kobelco Steelers in Japan.
David Joyce, from Castlebar, will join Mayo’s athletic performance team. Joyce, a former Birmingham City player, worked with McStay at Roscommon.
McStay said last month that getting the right people in the right roles was key to Mayo’s chances of success during his term.
“The first measure I will have of how we are doing as a management team is did we get everything right for our pre-season,” he said. “Have we the right people in the right places? Have we built out our backroom team? Are we pushing hard as we head for December?”
The new appointments bolster a management team already rich in experience and achievement.
The coach and assistant manager is Stephen Rochford. Donie Buckley’s role is coach and selector. The other selectors have additional responsibilities, Damien Mulligan for club liaison, Liam MacHale for the U20s.
Conor Finn is the head of athletic performance. Evan Regan is on board as a nutritionist and the renowned Niamh Fitzpatrick is back in the role of psychologist. She was previously involved with the All-Ireland winning Wexford hurlers in 1996 and worked with Mayo under Rochford in 2017.
