As a player, he was a decent addition on a Derry side that won a couple of Ulster titles in the 1970s.
Into a new decade and it wasn't long before Mickey Moran was making his mark as a coach. He has the silverware to back up his methods and he’s still at it. Last Saturday, a month on from guiding Kilcoo to a first Ulster club title, he guided the Down champions to a Croke Park appearance on All-Ireland final day, where treble-seeking Corofin await.
Equally impressive was his stewardship of Derry club Slaughtneil, with their haul of Ulster and provincial titles.
Moran was a part of the management when Derry claimed All-Ireland honours in 1993. After that he was a coach in demand, making Sligo and Leitrim feel better about themselves, while also helping Mayo reach an All-Ireland final after their dramatic comeback in Dublin in 2006. Who will ever forget 'Hillgate’?
We need your consent to load this SoundCloud contentWe use SoundCloud to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
So what is it that makes Moran such an accomplished coach?
Speaking on the latest edition of the RTÉ GAA Podcast, Adrian McGuckin, a former team-mate, and coaching colleague when the pair guided UUJ to a Sigerson title in 2008, said of Moran: "When it comes to football, everything he touches seems to turn to gold, his record is absolutely awesome."
Indeed, McGuckin was at pains to point out that the recent success with Kilcoo and Slaughtneil are only part of an incredible story.
"Slaughtneil had won only won one county championship before he went to them. He arrived and they won four on the trot, three Ulsters and got them to All-Ireland club finals. And now he is having a similar effect with Kilcoo, but that's only minuscule to what he has been doing in his last 50 years as a coach.
"There are very few flaws in his managerial style. He was probably the first to play the possession game and got a fair amount of flack for it. For him it’s all about having the ball in your hand even if you’re doing fitness work.
"Above all, I think it’s his personality that wins over the players. He ticks every box when it comes to coaching,"
Expanding more on the Moran’s management style, McGuckin added: "He can create a happy atmosphere around a training session. That is definitely one of his strengths, he’s not a man to go in shouting and roaring. His training sessions are well planned, everything goes seamlessly from one thing to another.
"The environment he creates around a team is one that everyone wants to buy into. I wouldn’t say he's strict on discipline and I think because of that people don’t misbehave, don’t do things to annoy him."
"You want to do everything for Mickey and because of that number 36 is just as important as your star midfielder.
"Throughout is career, Mickey has coached many teams that were close to making a breakthrough and he has come in and given them that extra bit of confidence, that extra bit of belief to get them over the line."
Listen to the RTÉ GAA Podcast at Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
