Wexford football boss Jason Ryan is one of three Ryans being linked with the vacant hurling manager’s job in his native Waterford.
Ryan, who has overseen a largely-impressive four-year spell at the helm of the Model County footballers to date, is a leading contender to take over from Davy Fitzgerald, according to a report in Monday’s Irish Independent.
The same piece also says that former Kilkenny goalkeeper James McGarry is being lined up as a coach as part of a Ryan backroom team, though Ryan himself does not have the sort of hurling background that would be expected of the ideal candidate to take over a Deise side in transition.
Nonetheless, it has been reported that serious consideration is being given to his candidacy, following a year in which he led the Wexford footballers – who he guided to the 2008 All-Ireland semi-final – to the Leinster final.
They were beaten by Dublin that day, and ultimately exited the qualifiers surprisingly, and in hugely controversial fashion, against Limerick.
While Ryan himself is reported as saying that he has not applied for the job, nor been nominated, it is believed that a six-man sub-committee has been informally in contact with him.
The other Ryans linked with replacing Fitzgerald are former Deise player and selector Kevin – who has been doing great things while in charge of Carlow - and Michael, who has previously taken charge of the De La Salle club and the Waterford ladies.
However, no formal interviews have yet been carried out by the Waterford county board.