Donegal captain Michael Murphy will take charge of the Letterkenny IT senior football team for the forthcoming season.
The college have confirmed that the Glenswilly clubman (pictured above with former Donegal team-mate Eamon McGee) will be in charge of the team for the Division Two League and Trench Cup campaigns ahead of the start of the new third level colleges football year.
The college last year announced a three-year partnership with Donegal GAA that enables current, former and future intercounty players to study closer to home, and allows the county teams to access the college’s facilities.
A statement from the college read: “LYIT welcomes the appointment of Michael Murphy, Donegal GAA star to the coaching staff in LYIT for the commencement of the sports and intervarsity programme in September 201. Michael will take charge of the LYIT GAA club in the institute and will manage and develop the LYIT team in their quest for a successful League Division 2 and Trench Cup campaign.
“The job comes as a welcome challenge to the Glenswilly man who is in the unique position of having a substantial knowledge of the up and coming GAA players in the county and also the neighbouring counties of Tyrone, Derry, Monaghan, Cavan and Mayo. Given that these counties are among the main source of LYIT’s population of students Michael will apply his skills both in coaching and in management to ensure that GAA in LYIT progresses to the top of the pile in college football.
“Commenting on the appointment, Paul Hannigan said that he is delighted and he has ensured Michael all possible support in their challenge for college sporting honours. ‘Through the direction of the Student Services Office, Michael will have at his disposal support and assistance to pursue what we in LYIT see as the next step in GAA’, the President stated.
“The added incentive of a range of Sports Scholarships available to incoming and returning students in LYIT is regarded as a huge help in ensuring that the best possible players will have the opportunity to commence their third level education in LYIT and also be part of the GAA sports programme, while also pursuing their chosen field of study.
“The Student Services Office has also recently made coaching appointments, both Basketball and in Soccer, both of these clubs have been gaining recognition in college competition in the past years. The Basketball Men’s team last year secured the Colleges Division 2 title and the Soccer Club reached the UMBRO Cup, and were narrowly defeated, last March.”
