FORMER county senior manager Brian McIver has been appointed as Derry’s director of football.
McIver has been given a brief to oversee the development of players and coaches and to develop a consistent approach to preparation and performance across all age levels. He will bring a wealth of experience to the role, going back to 2002 when he won the All-Ireland Club Championship with Ballinderry Shamrocks.
After that success, he moved onto the inter-county scene and steered Donegal to their first National League title in 2007. Subsequently, he was part of Down’s management team when the Mourne county reached the All-Ireland final in 2010 and took Derry to this year’s Ulster semi-finals before resigning after losing to Galway in round 2A of the Qualifiers.
“I want to thank Derry GAA for giving me this opportunity, this is very much a player-focused effort,” said McIver.
“It is about the development of players for the long-term and about giving players the opportunity to be the best that they can be for their clubs and their county. This can be done by providing the best possible facilities, coaches and structures to the players and their parents.
“With hard work and the cooperation of all stakeholders, we can continue to build on the good work being done right across the county.”
Having launched the Derry Hurling Academy back in January 2015, the appointment of McIver is in line with Derry’s strategic plan 2012-2017. Part of that plan was to integrate a high performance department into the existing coaching structures, overseen by games development manager Chris Collins and which currently incorporates performance analysis and strength and conditioning as key areas.
County chairman Brian Smith said: “We’re delighted to have Brian on board.
“He brings immense experience and expertise to the new role and will be an integral part in ensuring that both coaches and players at all levels have the best possible environment available to reach their potential.”
The process to appoint a successor to McIver as senior football manager is ongoing.
