The Five Leading Contenders To Replace Kevin McStay As Mayo Manager

Mayo are on the lookout for a new manager for 2026, after the contentious decision to end Kevin McStay's tenure in charge.

McStay was absent for the closing stages of Mayo's All-Ireland campaign due to illness, and was expected to resign after the Westerners' exit from the race for Sam Maguire.

However, a statement from the Mayo County Board on Wednesday confirmed that they had relieved McStay and his management team of their duties

Various reports have emerged in the days since as to why McStay was relieved of his duties, but the nature of Mayo's statement has not gone down well with many in the county's GAA spheres.

Now, though, attention turns to who will replace McStay as the county's manager. We've picked out five of the frontrunners to take charge of Mayo for the 2026 championship.

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Third time's the charm?

James Horan has already managed Mayo on two previous occasions, bringing them to four All-Ireland finals across his combined eight years in charge.

Horan was in charge as the great team of the 2010s kicked into gear, bringing them to back-to-back finals in 2012 and 2013. Having stepped down in 2014, he returned four years later and again reached back-to-back finals in 2020 and '21.

Though he stepped down after Mayo's exit from the 2022 championship, Horan remains well respected for his efforts in charge of the county. He is well placed among the bookies' odds for the county's next manager.

Could a third spell in charge be a step too far for Horan, or could the temptation to see them over the line in the All-Ireland at last be too much to resist?

What may initially seem like an outside bet, but former Cuala manager Austin O'Malley is seen as the initial favourite for the Mayo job across multiple bookmakers.

The Louisburgh native enjoyed a five year playing career in the green-and-red jersey, before transferring to Wicklow in 2011.

He would later move to Dublin and has since taken Cuala to unprecedented heights, delivering the club's first-ever All-Ireland senior football championship in January.

O'Malley resigned as Cuala bainisteoir after that memorable day in Croke Park, opening up the possibility he could be tempted to return to the county of his birth.

He has certainly proven his credentials during his time in charge of Cuala.

An icon of modern Mayo football, Andy Moran sits very closely alongside both Horan and O'Malley in the race for the job.

It did not take Moran long to break into coaching after his retirement as a player. He worked with the Mayo U20s and his club Ballaghaderreen in the years after retiring, before taking over as manager of Leitrim in 2022.

Moran brought Leitrim to Division 3 in his third and final year in charge in 2024, before taking up a role as part of Gabriel Bannigan's Monaghan backroom team for this season.

The Farney Army have steadily made their way through the 2025 championship, and will be riled up for a massive All-Ireland quarter-final against Donegal this Saturday.

For such a young coach, Moran has an impressive CV behind him already, and would surely be a popular choice among Mayo fans.

Ray Dempsey played in two All-Ireland finals with Mayo in 1989 and 1996, and has been heavily involved with the county's minor and U21 teams in the years since his playing days ended.

Dempsey spent a brief period in charge of Limerick in 2022, but resigned after just five months in charge of the Treaty County.

Around the time he took over as Limerick manager, Dempsey had been tipped as the best choice for the Mayo job by Oisin McConville. After Kevin McStay's appointment, Armagh legend McConville said:

I think Ray Dempsey would have been a better choice for Mayo, genuinely.

I found Ray Dempsey very direct, very honest, and I don’t think there’s enough of those people around anymore, especially in management.

I think he would have been a good fit for them because I think that’s exactly what Mayo need.

Speaking of Oisin McConville...

Oisin McConville enjoyed a successful career as a club manager after his retirement, leading Crossmaglen to back-to-back Armagh SFC titles in 2014 and 2015 and an Ulster title in 2015.

His tenure as Wicklow manager has been intriguing, with the county see-sawing between Divisions 3 and 4 in his first three years in charge.

This year saw him bring the county all the way to the Tailteann Cup semi-finals, but a late collapse against Limerick left their dreams of a first All-Ireland senior title in tatters.

McConville's tenure as Wicklow manager is now up in the air, with no word on whether he will be staying on with the county.

Having been linked to Ray Dempsey's push for the Mayo job in 2022, it's no surprise that McConville is in the mix this time around.