Brian McIver

Brian McIver
Club management
Years Club
c. 2002 Ballinderry Shamrocks
Inter-county management
Years Team
2005–2008
c. 2010
2012–2015
Donegal
Down (backroom)
Derry
Inter-county titles
County League Province All-Ireland
Donegal 1

Brian McIver is a Gaelic football manager who has been in charge of two county teams and been part of another that played in an All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final. He was the 2007 National Football League-winning manager.

A Tyrone native, McIver led Ballinderry Shamrocks to an All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship.[1] Appointed manager of Donegal (in what was his first involvement at inter-county level), McIver led Donegal to an Ulster Senior Football Championship final in his first championship campaign.[2] He then led Donegal to a National League title in 2007.[3] His time as Donegal manager also saw him give a 17-year-old Michael Murphy his debut and he gave Neil McGee, Frank McGlynn, Rory Kavanagh and Anthony Thompson their first championship starts.[2]

McIver received a degree from Coleraine, a PGCE from Queen's University and a master's from Jordanstown.[4] He headed to St Mary's, where his involvement with Paddy Tally began.[4] Tally got involved with Down and brought McIver in along with him.[4] McIver was part of the Down backroom team for the 2010 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final.[3] McIver said in 2022 that he still thought Down would have won that game if Ambrose Rogers hadn't injured himself.[4]

McIver was appointed Derry manager in 2012,[3] being announced in the same month Jim McGuinness led McIver's former Donegal players to an All-Ireland Senior Football Championship title.[2] Joe Brolly was particularly critical of McIver's management.[1] McIver brought Derry to a Division 1 final in 2014.[1] He quit the Derry management role in 2015, criticising Conor Lane on live television in his parting interview while confirming his departure.[5][6][7][8] Earlier that season, he had criticised David Coldrick and then Ciaran Brannigan.[9]

But McIver remained as Oak Leaf Director of Football.[10] He spent three years as Oak Leaf Director of Football after quitting as Derry manager.[4] He was reported to be stepping down after four years in 2019.[1]

McIver's son Michael is a Gaelic footballer, and McIver has managed him.[11]

  1. ^ a b c d O'Kane, Cahair (30 October 2019). "Brian McIver to leave role as Derry's Director of Football". The Irish News.
  2. ^ a b c Duggan, Keith (27 June 2015). "Brian McIver not forgotten by Donegal for pointing out light". The Irish Times.
  3. ^ a b c "Brian McIver is appointed as the new Derry football boss". BBC. 6 September 2012.
  4. ^ a b c d e Watters, Andy (28 May 2022). "The life of Brian… Tyrone native Brian McIver was in the trenches with Donegal and Derry". The Irish News.
  5. ^ O'Leary, Conor (18 July 2015). "Brian McIver Resigns With Sensational Interview Lambasting Referee". Balls.ie. The outgoing boss announced it in his post-game interview with RTE, which was a bizarre lambasting of the referee over his handling of the game, with focus on the black card and the lack of a penalty to Derry in the game.
  6. ^ Rooney, Declan (20 July 2015). "Brian McIver aims parting tirade at 'brutal' refs". Irish Independent.
  7. ^ "Derry boss Brian McIver quits in fury over refereeing standards". RTÉ. 20 July 2015.
  8. ^ "Brian McIver lambasts referee as he quits Derry after Galway defeat". BBC. 18 July 2015.
  9. ^ O'Kane, Cahair (9 March 2015). "Derry boss Brian McIver 'disgusted' by display of referee Branagan after defeat by Mayo". Irish Examiner.
  10. ^ "Brian McIver remains with Derry as Director of Football". Highland Radio. 9 September 2015.
  11. ^ Bogue, Declan (1 March 2015). "Irate Brian McIver calls foul". Belfast Telegraph.