Report: Mayo Manager Race Narrowed Down To Two Clear Contenders

The race for the Mayo managerial role has been narrowed down to a two-horse race, according to reports this week.

After a disappointing 2025 championship, Kevin McStay and his managerial team were shown the exit door by the Mayo county board in abrupt fashion.

The blunt manner of McStay's dismissal, especially after a period of ill health, left a sour taste for many within the county and beyond.

However, the discussion has now turned to who will take McStay's place at the helm for the 2026 season.

Several names have been put forward by punters and fans, and it appears as though the Mayo board have now narrowed their shortlist down to just two contenders.

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The Connacht Telegraph reports this week that Andy Moran and Tony McEntee have emerged as the frontrunners for the vacant Mayo managerial role.

Moran is a Mayo legend from his playing days and has been heavily linked with the job since McStay's departure. McEntee, on the other hand, has only recently emerged as a contender after his exit as Sligo manager.

Four candidates are said to have applied for the job, with Armagh man McEntee said to be the "number one target" by the Connacht Telegraph report.

Moran, however, is said to have emerged as a "serious contender" with the Mayo board.

The report further states that Mayo are in no rush to make an appointment, with a meeting unlikely to be called before next week.

Moran played for Mayo for 15 years, winning Footballer of the Year in 2017 and suffering heartbreak in six All-Ireland finals.

Since retirement, the Ballaghaderreen man has jumped between coaching jobs, beginning with the Mayo U20s before taking over as Leitrim manager for the 2022 season. Moran spent the last year as part of Gabriel Bannigan's backroom team with the Monaghan senior footballers.

McEntee, by contrast, would be an outside manager, something Mayo have not done since Mickey Moran led them to the 2006 All-Ireland final.

The Armagh man recently stepped down after five seasons in charge of Sligo, leading them to the Tailteann Cup semi-finals on two separate occasions.

McEntee has won All-Ireland senior titles as both a player and manager, winning Sam Maguire with Armagh in 2002 before leading Crossmaglen Rangers to the 2011 and 2012 club All-Ireland titles.

Both men would have a level of familiarity with the Mayo team. Moran only retired as a player in 2019, while McEntee was a selector for the team during Stephen Rochford's reign.

The noise coming from Mayo seems to have narrowed the race down to these two men - which of them ends up in the job is one of the biggest questions of the GAA offseason.