Who next for Derry after Tally's departure?

Derry are searching for a fourth senior football manager in as many years after Paddy Tally departed the role

Derry are searching for a fourth senior football manager in four years after Paddy Tally departed the job after just one season in charge.

Despite failing to win a league or championship game in 2025, any manager taking charge of the county will have a panel of players at his disposal capable of competing for the biggest prizes on offer and a seemingly endless supply of successful underage talent waiting to make their mark on the senior stage.

BBC Sport NI looks at a few of those names that could potentially replace Tally in the Oak Leaf hot seat.

Ciaran Meenagh

Ciaran Meenagh spent four years at Derry as a coach and then as a manager

This is an appointment that could be welcomed by the vast majority of Derry supporters as a link to their golden period.

Meenagh joined the Derry set-up ahead of the 2019 season - appointed by then manager Damian McErlain - with the county in Division Four of the National League.

The Tyrone native was involved for four seasons, helping guide the county back to Division One and winning the Ulster title for the first time in 24 years in 2022. They then retained that title in 2023 with Meenagh as manager after Rory Gallagher stepped aside.

Meenagh stayed in charge for their All-Ireland quarter-final win over Cork before the Oak Leafers were beaten by Kerry in the last four.

He ruled himself out of the job two years ago, opting to concentrate on his teaching job in Draperstown, and has spent the last two seasons working under Conor Laverty at Down, helping the Mournemen win the Tailteann Cup in 2024.

Conleith Gilligan

Conleith Gilligan has spent the last two seasons at Armagh helping the county win the All-Ireland in 2024

Conleith Gilligan is one of the most popular coaches in GAA circles and has a proven track record of bringing success wherever he goes.

The Ballinderry man won an All-Ireland as a player with his club and claimed two National League Division One titles in his 10 years with Derry at senior level.

On the coaching front, Gilligan joined up with Mickey Moran at Kilcoo and helped the Down side win the All-Ireland club title in 2022.

He joined Kieran McGeeney's backroom team at Armagh ahead of the 2024 season and played a key role in the Orchard County winning their second All-Ireland title last year.

Gilligan was also involved with Armagh for the 2025 season as their season ended with defeat by Kerry in the All-Ireland quarter-finals.

Philly McMahon

Philly McMahon, who has spent the past three seasons as BBC Sport NI pundit, turned down the Derry job in 2024

As a Dublin legend with eight All-Ireland medals to his name, Philly McMahon knows what it takes to win the Sam Maguire Cup.

Since his retirement from inter-county football in 2021, McMahon has been a regular on television screens as a pundit with the BBC.

The Dub was recently named manager of Kildare club Naas earlier this year and said he was offered the opportunity to become the Derry manager before Tally's appointment.

"It was a very interesting opportunity. The support behind the scenes seems very good and that's what enticed me, but maybe it has set me up for the next opportunity," McMahon said last year.

The two-time All Star told the GAA Social that he gave the offer to succeed Mickey Harte as Oak Leaf boss serious consideration and added that he would remain interested in becoming an inter-county manager.

Could the time be now?

Enda McGinley

Enda McGinley led his club Errigal Ciaran to the All-Ireland final earlier this year

Could it be a fourth Tyrone man in a row for Derry?

Enda McGinley has pedigree in the coaching game and experience of operating within the Derry club scene having spent time as manager of Swatragh.

He also has inter-county managerial experience, having led Antrim for two years before stepping down in 2022.

Over the past year, he has led Errigal Ciaran - who he played for - to Tyrone and Ulster titles before losing the All-Ireland club final to Dublin side Cuala.

The three-time All-Ireland winner is a regular pundit with RTE and certainly has his eye on all facets of the game.

Tony McEntee

Tony McEntee recently left Sligo after five seasons in charge

Former Armagh All-Ireland winner Tony McEntee is currently unattached after stepping down as Sligo boss following a five-year stint.

During his tenure, he led Sligo to last year's Tailteann Cup final, where they were defeated by Down.

As a manager, McEntee also helped guide his native Crossmaglen to back-to-back All-Ireland club titles in 2011 and 2012.

He's also been linked with the vacant post at Mayo so he is a man in high demand.

Damian McErlain

Damian McErlain is the current manager of the Derry under 20 team.

He's been the man behind the Derry revival at underage level.

McErlain took charge of the county minors in 2015, helping them win their first Ulster title in 13 years with now senior stars Conor Glass and Shane McGuigan leading the charge.

He repeated the feat in 2017 before losing out to a David Clifford-inspired Kerry in the All-Ireland final.

The Magherafelt man was in charge of the senior side for two seasons in 2018 and 2019 which included relegation to and then promotion from Division Four.

McErlain returned to the underage ranks, leading Derry to back-to-back All-Ireland minor titles in 2023 and 2024 before stepping up to take the under-20s this year, losing an Ulster semi-final to Tyrone.

Chrissy McKaigue

Chrissy McKaigue retired from inter-county duty in 2024

Chrissy McKaigue knows the highs and lows of the county, winning all four divisions of the National League in his time as a player.

A highly respected name across the sport and even more so in his own county, McKaigue was Derry's Ulster Championship-winning captain in 2022 and played 149 times for his county after making his debut in 2008.

Having retired in 2024 after Derry's quarter-final defeat by Kerry, McKaigue dipped his toe into coaching life with Tyrone club Ardboe in recent years - but could he take on the top job in his own county?

Ger Brennan

Ger Brennan has stepped down as Louth manager after two seasons in charge

An All-Ireland winner as a player for Dublin, Ger Brennan is heavily linked to step in and take charge of his native county after Dessie Farrell's departure.

Brennan's stock is high after an impressive two-year spell with Louth, leading them to their first All-Ireland quarter-final in 2024 before leading them to a first Leinster title in 68 years this season.

He announced he was stepping down from the 'Wee County' shortly after they were beaten by Donegal in the preliminary quarter-final.