The managerial merry-go-round is in full swing in Derry football circles ahead of the 2025 campaign.

As expected, Mark Doran has stepped down as Slaughtneil manager after he was recently named as Roscommon’s new coach. The Robert Emmets lost the Derry SFC semi-final to All-Ireland club champions Glen who they had beaten earlier in the campaign. Doran had been linked with the Derry senior job which remains vacant four months after Mickey Harte’s departure.

Like Slaughtneil, Glen are also on the lookout for a replacement for new Tyrone manager Malachy O’Rourke, whose hugely successful tenure ended with a surprise county final loss to Newbridge last month.

Meanwhile, Magherafelt have appointed Gavin Devlin as their new senior football manager in succession to joint-bosses Richard Thornton and Brian McGuckin. The former Tyrone All-Ireland SFC winning defender was Mickey Harte’s right-hand man in Tyrone, Louth and Derry before his recent appointment as Louth Underage Football Development Coordinator.

O’Donovan Rossa last won the Derry SFC title in 2019 and were runners-up to Glen in 2023.

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