Worldwide interest in Coleraine jobs reveals Colin McKendry

Coleraine chairman Colin McKendry has revealed he has received expressions of interest in taking over the managerial hot seat at The Showgrounds from across the globe.
Colin McKendry says the process had begun to replace Oran Kearney at Coleraine.Colin McKendry says the process had begun to replace Oran Kearney at Coleraine.
Colin McKendry says the process had begun to replace Oran Kearney at Coleraine.

The Bannsiders begin the process of trying to replace Oran Kearney, who takes up the Manager post at St Mirren on Monday.

But McKendry says the club have already been inundated with emails from possible candidates with the Bannsiders a very attractive proposition.

“We will be putting on our website on Monday morning expressions of interest in the job and there have been a number of enquiries to date and my phone hasn’t stopped," he said.

“There has been a number from America, Iceland, France, England, it’s been phenomenal. This club is now sitting in a great foundation, it’s a very attractive proposition for a proven manager who wants to get to the next level."

To make sure Coleraine build on the solid foundations laid down by Kearney over the last eight season, the board have confirmed the current backroom team of Trevor McKendry, Winkie Murphy and Paul Owens will remain at the club with any new manager having to work within the remaining structures in place.

“We will certainly move on and the decision won’t be taken lightly," he said.

“The one thing I can tell you is that the backroom staff will remain the same and the structures won’t change.

“People who will help choose the next appointment will be the backroom staff, the Board of Directors, two independent personnel who I trust enormously and senior pros at the club.

“There’s a gut feeling about who we want to appoint and it was the same with Oran."

Whoever takes over will have big shoes to fill and McKendry said there will be set criteria for the new boss.

“Oran arrived here to a club which wasn’t in a good situation both on and off the pitch," he said.

“The club has now taken over the Academy, the turnover of the club has now developed into a big business and we need someone to come in with a business head on them and know the implications of making wrong decisions.

“It’s a business decision as well as a footballing one. They say that they don’t combine well but Oran was a businessman, as well as a manager."

It was an emotional evening at The Showgrounds on Saturday night as the Bannsiders said their goodbyes to Kearney following their Irn Bru Cup win over Formartine United.

McKendry though said the club now has to move on.

“From Tuesday to today (Saturday) it has been a roller coaster ride, but the Oran Kearney era is now gone," he said.

“The self-pity side of things here is gone and as Oran said the decision has been made and both parties move on.

“As much as we want him to do well, we have to move on and the club is in a new era.

“I was at the international match against Bosnia and every Irish League chairman had a big grin on their face because they know we had something special here.

“I keep saying that they would love to take what we have here. Crusaders tried to take McGonigle, those saying Brad Lyons has gone will derail everything and I’m saying that won’t happen.

“I’m more than determined that we won’t drop back into what happened here before.”