Ciaran O'Sullivan steps down as coach of Irish Guide Dogs Ballincollig @MTU but plans to keep playing

THERE is a changing of the guard at Irish Guide Dogs Ballincollig @MTU for next season in the men’s Super League.

Coach Ciaran O’Sullivan will be stepping down as head coach for family reasons, however, he still plans to to play with the team next season. 

After weeks of research the Village club have just hired Spanish coach Antonio Lopez to replace him. 

Lopez comes with a very good CV and should be a valuable addition to their club.

O’Sullivan has been one of the leading coaches for the last number of years in the Super League, winning multiple titles, however, he still has plenty to offer on the court. 

He feels this is the right time to take a break from the coaching side of the game, as his wife Clare is expecting their second child and he wants to spend more time with his family.

“I’ve decided to step down from my role as Ballincollig Super League head coach for family reasons,” Ciaran said.

“I have really enjoyed coaching over the last number of years and we have had some success along the way which always helps. 

"I'm hoping to continue playing and I will support the club in any way I can. 

"The core group of the 2023 Super League winning team is still intact, so I feel this is a team that can compete for trophies in the years to come.

“I'd like to thank my family for being so supportive over the years, as coaching at this level requires a lot of hours away from the family in terms of planning, reviewing, scouting, video analysis and recruiting. 

"I would like to thank our hard-working committee, the fans, the coaching staff, and of course, the players, for making it such an enjoyable and successful experience,” Ciaran added.

Daniel O’Sullivan has been at the side of Ciaran since they started playing with Ballincollig as youngsters and has been his trusted assistant coach for the last number of years.

Daniel has been at the forefront of recruiting the Spaniard for the Village and after weeks of research he feels that they got the right man to take the club forward.

“Since Ciaran announced he was stepping down I have spent the last few weeks recruiting Antonio and he will be new the head coach for Irish Guide Dogs Ballincollig @MTU for the 2024/25 Season,” Daniel said.

“Antonio is 35 years old, and the Spaniard learned his coaching trade initially as a performance coach with ACB Programme Real Betis in the Spanish top tier of basketball. 

"He then graduated to head coach status, spending five seasons with Leb Silver side CB Moron. 

"Many excellent players have passed through Antonio's hands during this stint, including Super League winner and former Village standout Jose Jimenez. 

"After five years in Leb Silver, Antonio was appointed last season as head coach of HC Ockelbo in Sweden.

“Along with coaching the Super League team, Antonio will help coaching the coaches at the club and also be helping with the coaching program for the underage section. 

"We think this is the right direction for their club to take as he is an very experienced coach and have a similar philosophy of how the game should be played as ourselves.

“This is a very exciting time for the club going forward and we feel that this is the best decision for the club as a whole and we wish him well and also thank Ciaran for all he has done for the club as coach over the past few seasons,” Daniel added.