Former Kerry manager Éamonn Fitzmaurice says Jack O'Connor probably concluded he'd be "mad" to depart the senior manager's job with the county primed for more success in the coming years.
This evening's county board meeting will bring confirmation that O'Connor is remaining as Kerry manager for a further two years, the five-time All-Ireland winning manager seeking to deliver a first back-to-back success since 2006-07 next summer.
Over the course of 2025, and in the wake of the All-Ireland victory, O'Connor had indicated that this would be his last year in the job but he didn't quite close the door on the possibility of continuing.
In the end, there wasn't much surprise when it was revealed that he would be remaining in the role for a further two campaigns.
"I think when he would have reflected, it was a fantastic season for Kerry," Fitzmaurice said on RTÉ Radio 1's Morning Ireland.
"It's an exciting time to be involved in that group. They're at a great age now, a lot of them. There's been a lot of maturity, physically, mentally, everything-wise, over the last while.
"And I think in a way, Jack would have probably felt he would have been mad to leave it as it is.
"He's (got) a very strong backroom team. There's a great spirit within the group. All of the ingredients you'll be looking for, for continued success.
"The only question I suppose for Jack was that he's never gone beyond the four years in his previous terms.
"I think the critical difference this time is possibly that he's retired from his teaching role. He has the time to really give everything to Kerry and he's enjoying it. So why not stay going?"
In the interregnum between Kerry's All-Ireland winning banquet and yesterday's news that O'Connor would be staying on, David Clifford was among those who expressed the hope that the Dromid Pearses clubman would remain in the job. And Fitzmaurice suspects that the voice of the players was a factor in him staying on.
"I'm sure the lads were in Jack's ear to make sure that he was going to stay on. Because the players would appreciate it as well, that they are in a very good position in terms of the group that they have together, both players and management.
"And they wouldn't want the churn or big change of a change at the top. So I think everyone in Kerry will be happy today."
