Ireland Hunting for New Men’s Head Coach After Tumilty Steps Down
Ireland’s men are looking for a new head coach, and the timing could hardly be more interesting.
Hockey Ireland confirmed on 29 October that Mark Tumilty is stepping down as head coach of the senior men’s national team, following the recent World Cup campaign. Tumilty took the decision himself, saying he wants a break from the demands of international coaching after a long stretch with the programme. He was first appointed in 2019 on a short-term basis, then made permanent in 2020, so this is the end of a seven-year run.
Assistant coach Neville Rothman has stepped in as interim head coach to keep things steady while the search runs. Hockey Ireland say they aim to have the permanent appointment done by the end of December 2026, and the vacancy is now formally advertised.
Whoever gets the job inherits a team on the up. Ireland qualified for the 2026 World Cup through the qualifiers in Santiago, topping their group, beating Wales in the semi-final to book their place, then coming from behind to beat France and win the whole tournament. At the World Cup itself they finished 10th, their best ever, and recorded their first ever World Cup win by beating South Africa. That run was enough to earn the squad a shortlisting for Team of the Year at the 2026 Olympic Sport Awards, with voting open until 15 November.
What it means
Tumilty leaves with his stock high. He took Ireland to a World Cup, got their best finish, and handed his successor a squad with belief and a bit of momentum. The next coach does not need to rebuild. They need to keep a good thing going and find the extra gear that turns a 10th-place side into a regular knockout-round team.
The timing is tight but workable. An appointment by the end of December gives the new coach the winter to settle in before the 2027 international season. Rothman holding the fort means nothing stalls in the meantime.
What comes next
Applications are open now, and the clock is running. Ireland’s men have gone from outsiders to a side people take seriously, and the next appointment will say a lot about how far Hockey Ireland think this group can go.
