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There is mounting speculation in Tyrone tonight that Mickey Harte has received an application to remain as manager rejected by the county board executive.
Harte’s most recent three-year tenure ended last week when his team lost to Donegal in the Ulster quarter-finals. That came a week after Tyrone secured his Division 1 status.
It would be the second time in four years that the 68-year-old has been denied an extension request.
In September 2016, in the middle of a two-year term and after winning a first Ulster title in six years, the executive said no to his proposal for another year. However, he received a boosted deal 12 months later.
The three-time All-Ireland winner is the longest-serving coach in high-level inter-county football, taking over the senior team in November 2002.
Since then, he has guided Tyrone to All-Irelands in 2003, ’05 and ’08, six Ulster titles and two Division 1 titles. Tyrone has also finished runner-up once in the All-Ireland (2018), Division 1 ( ’13) and Ulster (’05).
Various past and current players such as Joe McMahon and Frank Burns have argued that Harte should decide his own future.
Last month, Harte’s partner Errigal Ciaran, Enda McGinley, asked that his future be handled with respect.
“Have a conversation with Mickey and say, ‘We think you’re the best man, but if that doesn’t work, we want to have a second plan. So maybe a year from now, we’ll change.’ It is done in a friendly way, it is done well.
“What we don’t want is for Mickey to leave in controversial circumstances. I don’t think the best managers will go to work in that case and it would be bad for the county and it’s not the way I would want Mickey Harte to leave either. “
One possibility is that Harte is running now for a three-year term, but for the first time, it appears that other stakeholders are ready to apply for the position.
The county board is likely to invite clubs to submit nominations for the senior manager position.
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