Conor Hayes has stayed faithful to the Galway senior hurlers by agreeing to remain on as their manager for the 2006 season.
Hayes, who won three All-Irelands with the Tribesmen as a player in the 1980s, had his re-appointment ratified at a meeting of the Galway County Board on Monday night.
The Kiltomer clubman guided Galway through to last month's All-Ireland final before they fell agonisingly to champions Cork.
Now facing a fourth season at the helm, the lure of guiding his county to a first All-Ireland SHC title since 1988 proved too much for Hayes, who believes Galway are on the right track to success.
"We now know what is required to win an All-Ireland. Nothing is guaranteed, we will have a lot of work to do but this year the players learnt what it takes to win it," admitted Hayes.
"Whether or not we make that other step remains to be seen, but we feel it is worth giving it another go."
Hayes' 2005 selectors - Gerry Dempsey, Pearse Piggott, Seamus Coen and Sean Silke - are also being retained for next season.
