COACH PAUL MCKILLOP APPOINTED ASSISTANT HEAD COACH
A valued member of the Wolfhounds’ Coaching Ticket from the outset, Coach McKillop has been appointed Assistant Head Coach of the Senior Men’s Kitted Team. “Paul’s dedication to the Wolfhounds and the game here in Ireland makes him an obvious choice for Assistant Head Coach,” said Head Coach Ciaran O’Sullivan on the appointment of his new right-hand man. His encyclopedic knowledge of football and familiarity with Irish clubs and players will be a huge advantage in our strategic and tactical discussions.” Coach McKillop added that he is excited to working even closer in helping drive the program forward.
COACH DARRAGH FARRELL APPOINTED DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Coach Farrell has a long history with our National Program, both as a player and most recently a Defensive Backs Coach. Darragh takes over the recently vacated Defensive Coordinator post. Chiming in on his new DC, Coach O’Sullivan said “To say Coach Farrell was top of the list when looking for a DC is not the full story. His work with the ‘Hounds in the past and the exciting brand of defense we see in his club’s game at UCD make this an exciting appointment. I am looking forward to see what he does with the talented group of players he has to work with.”
Coach Farrell noted that he is “thrilled for the opportunity to coach with the Wolfhounds again and take on this new challenge,” and acknowledged the respect he has for outgoing DC and new Cork Admirals HC Brendan Kelleher and the work he has done to “elevate the [Wolfhounds] defensive game to a new level.”
COACH TOM TELFORD APPOINTED SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR
Coach Telford’s coaching journey is a model for dedicated coaches. His early involvement with the Wolfhounds was as a coaching assistant with a focus on the offensive side of the team. Working on film capture, cutting and review in practice and games, he moved to Offensive Line Coach and took on punt and field goal coaching. His work with UCD’s Special Teams and his experience with the Hounds made him a great fit for the Special Teams job. “Tom has quite literally worked his way up to this role,” regarded Coach O’Sullivan. “His attention to detail and the energy he brought to every task asked of him, helped him stand out as someone who was hungry for more work. I’m looking forward to seeing him in action with the players as a Coordinator and, of course, seeing his unit set the tone for this young Wolfhounds team.” Reflecting on his story to this new role, Coach Telford said “Becoming the Wolfhounds’ Special Teams Coordinator brings me a tremendous amount of pride — I’m so grateful for the opportunity to grow the success of the team. My philosophy is to emphasize the importance of consistency, discipline and strategic thinking. We will look to maximise the field position for Offence & Defense while looking for opportunities to succeed as a unit.”