Derek McGrath will become Laois minors coach before the end of the week, in a move that will provoke considerable surprise to GAA supporters.
The former Waterford coach will be confirmed as the coach before the weekend, in a coaching ticket that will likely include Liam Dunne as manager, with McGrath taking charge of coaching initiatives for the O'Moore county.
"Whilst out there, there was a little part of me saying, 'There's no way Micheal Donoghue's out here!"
⛱️ Derek McGrath recalls a trip to Majorca in the lead-up to the 2017 All-Ireland hurling final @ElectricIreland #GAAThisIsMajor
Full interview: https://t.co/WDTCXlrmue pic.twitter.com/odxxGx7VRM— Off The Ball (@offtheball) August 15, 2019
Last week, McGrath spoke to Off The Ball about next steps, and denied that he was in line to succeed Paraic Fanning as Waterford senior hurling manager.
"I got a text while I was away to say that Paraic has stepped down," he began.
"There's part of me thinking it's too soon.
"There's part of me thinking there are good people in Waterford who would like a stab at [the job]. So that's where I'm at.
"I haven't thought about it but I'm beginning to think about it. I'm in between, I suppose."
McGrath managed the Deise for four seasons, a period which included an All-Ireland final appearance and winning their first National League title in 12 years.
He stepped away in 2018 as Waterford failed to progress from the new Munster round-robin system after failing to win a match.
Fanning took over and resigned last month citing ‘personal reasons’ after a year that saw Waterford fail to progress from Munster.
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