Cork football manager Brian Cuthbert will not seek re-appointment for a third year at the helm following last weekend’s championship exit at the hands of Kildare, the reports today.
Cuthbert saw his side go down by nine points in Thurles last Saturday night to the Leinster side, just a week after losing to Kerry in the replayed Munster football final.
As reported by Michael Moynihan and Jackie Cahill in the Irish Examiner today, the unexpected championship exit followed a disappointing NFL final defeat at the hands of Dublin, Cork’s second comprehensive loss to the Dubs in two seasons.
Last year the Rebels let an eight-point half-time lead over Dublin in the NFL semi-final slip and went down to a seven-point loss. Cork’s season never recovered from that collapse.
Cuthbert came in for severe criticism in recent weeks both from his own county and from outside. In mid-June former Kerry player Tomás Ó Sé described Cork as “rudderless enough, to be fair, from management down”.
Cork officials will now seek a replacement for Cuthbert, though with no competitive games until next year’s McGrath Cup, there is no immediate hurry to appoint a bainisteoir.
Castlehaven’s John Cleary will come into consideration based on his tenure at U21 level with the county, but Cork native Peter Creedon’s success with Tipperary will also put him in the frame.