CONOR Hourihane quips that his first full season as a manager hasn’t led him to question his career choice.

The Bandon man parted company with League One club Barnsley at the end of last season after his first full campaign as head coach, a role he stepped into just months after retiring from playing in December 2024.

Still only 35, Hourihane moved from Barnsley player-coach to assistant coach and then head coach in quick succession before leading the Tykes through the 2025/26 season.

The experience only strengthened his desire to forge a career in management.

‘Yeah, it certainly hasn’t put me off anyway,’ Hourihane told The Star Sport Podcast during his annual summer trip home to Bandon.

‘Some people dip their toe into management and decide it’s not for them, but that hasn’t happened with me.

‘At the minute, I’m still quite open-minded because I’m young. Whether that’s a head coach role or an assistant role under the right manager, I’m open to both if they help me keep moving in the right direction.

‘I’m not sitting here saying I have to be a head coach tomorrow. That’s ultimately where I want to get back to, but if the right head coach role comes along, brilliant. If not, maybe there’s an assistant role where I can learn from a really good manager and continue developing.

‘The main thing is that I want to be a success in coaching and management. Coaching is a much longer career than playing. I’ve got time on my side to keep building knowledge, experience and understanding over the years.’

Hourihane is hopeful of landing a new role soon, acknowledging that building up his experience is key. While it looks like he has already packed a lot into his coaching career in a short time, he points to the unseen work that has brought him to this level.

‘I suppose when you look at it, it has gone quickly. There’s a little bit of me that thinks it’s accelerated and happened really fast, like you said. But there’s another part of me that thinks about all the work people don’t see that’s gone on over the last three, four or five years,’ Hourihane said.

‘My mindset has always been about working hard, making every day count and trusting it will pay off. Then all of a sudden these opportunities come along and you think, maybe it’s happened quickly, but it’s also the result of a lot of work in the background. So it’s probably a mix of both.

‘I wanted to make the most of the opportunity and I feel I did okay. I went for a couple of roles this summer and was probably pipped by people with more experience, which clubs tend to favour. That just shows that even though I’ve had 16 or 17 months in coaching roles as interim, assistant and head coach, I’m still relatively inexperienced.

‘I’m really hungry to become a successful head coach. That’s the goal.

‘When I first went into Barnsley, it was very much a case of wanting an opportunity and wanting to get on the ladder. There weren’t too many questions being asked because I was such a novice. It wasn’t about budgets, finances or long-term plans – it was just, “Give me the role and let me get started.”

‘Now, after spending time as a head coach, I understand much better what I need in terms of support, structure and people around me. I’m asking more questions about where a club wants to go and who I’ll be working with. I’m a lot more selective now because I want the best possible platform moving forward.’

There’s also a relentlessness to management that Hourihane understands far better after a year in the hot seat.

‘It never stops,’ he says.

‘This time last year I was on holiday with my family in Ireland and the phone was still going constantly.

‘Before one season even finishes, you’re already planning the next one. You’re talking recruitment, speaking to players, doing Zoom calls, trying to convince people to join, speaking to ownership, discussing budgets and targets.

‘That’s probably one thing I don’t miss at the minute. When you’re a head coach, your phone never stops. Agents are ringing, players are texting, sporting directors are calling. It’s a constant cycle.

‘My phone is a lot quieter now because people don’t know what my next role is. But when you’re in the job, it’s relentless. Unless you’ve experienced it, it’s hard to describe.’