Step-by-step: How Mayo GAA will pick their next football manager

The story of the sacking of Kevin McStay by Mayo GAA is one that has dominated discourse in the county over the last week.

However, the big wheel keeps on turning, and conversation has swiftly turned to the process of ensuring the right person is in the dugout to lead the Green and Red in 2026.

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Here, we’ve gone through the step-by-step process, which will hopefully see someone in the hot seat before long, from nominating candidates to the interview process.

The first step will be to request that nominations be submitted to Mayo GAA. A deadline will likely be put in place by the County Board at Monday’s meeting of the Executive and the county board delegates.

From there, once all nominations have been submitted by the clubs, the rest of the process will be undertaken within the framework outlined in the Mayo GAA Operations Manual.

All those who have been nominated will be sent an application form. After all forms have been received, outlining key details of their application for the role, the formal interview process will commence.

A subcommittee will be appointed by the Mayo GAA Executive to oversee the interviews.

The interviewers are under an obligation to sign a declaration, which states that there will be no conflict of interest that could impact their ability to appoint any interviewee.

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Firstly, the subcommittee will review the nominations and shortlist the candidates they deem appropriate, under criteria such as experience, qualifications, and vision, if they are appointed.

From there, the interview process begins. All candidates will meet with the subcommittee, where they will put their pitch forward, likely including budget, backroom teams, and their tactical blueprint to improve the inter-county team.

Questions asked of candidates will likely also revolve around examples of how they used relevant management skills in past experiences.

At that point, once the process has concluded, all subcommittee members will confer on who they believe is the best candidate.

Once they have reached a decision, they will bring their recommendations to both the County Board and the Executive, who are expected to ratify the recommendation.