Mike Solan to Lead Offaly Footballers as New Manager

Mike Solan is poised to take charge of the Offaly footballers after being put forward by the county’s management committee as their choice to lead the Faithful County.

The former Longford boss, who parted ways with the midlanders earlier this month, will go before the September county board meeting for ratification. If approved, he will be handed a three-year term at the helm.

Solan will not be coming in alone. His backroom team is already mapped out, with highly regarded coach Joe Keane – who has previously worked with Mayo, Sligo and Longford – set to join him on the sideline. Offaly great Nigel Dunne is also lined up for a key role after guiding the county’s minors to a landmark Leinster title in 2025, their first provincial success at that grade in 35 years.

The appointment would mark another step in Solan’s steady rise through the inter-county ranks. Before Longford, he managed the Mayo Under-21s and later served on Andy Moran’s management team in Leitrim, building a reputation as a sharp, modern voice on the line.

He steps into a vacancy created when joint-managers Mickey Harte and Declan Kelly resigned last month. Harte had initially weighed up staying on for another season after linking up with Kelly in 2024, Kelly having already been in place from the previous year, but the pair ultimately chose to walk away.

Now Offaly are ready to turn the page again – and place their next chapter in Solan’s hands, if the county board gives the green light.