UCD boss Willie O'Connor: 'We have a brilliant hunger about us and the players are raring to go'

None

By day, UCD boss Willie O’Connor is a secondary school teacher - but by night he will be hoping to empower the Students’ latest batch of talent to a fresh promotion charge.

O’Connor has stepped up to become UCD manager this term having served as assistant to former supremo Andy Myler since 2021.

Before that, the Buncrana native operated as a first-team coach with Ollie Horgan at Finn Harps - and he also led Shelbourne’s under-19 side for a time.

But having served his apprenticeship as a coach and assistant manager, the Uefa Pro License holder is relishing his first senior role in the League of Ireland as a No 1.

“It's new and it is also the first time that I am a League of Ireland manager,” O’Connor tells extratime.com.

“There's a lot of stuff you're learning as you go and there’s stuff you're only getting used to. It's going well so far but I’m obviously learning as I go. But so far, so good. I'm enjoying it.

“There’s some new staff there as well and they’re working quite well.

“Shane Fox is coming into the backroom team after being with the under-17 team last year.

“He's coming in along with Dylan Hennessy who was an analyst in that set-up.

“Cormac Henry was in with us last year too and will be first-team coach while Ger Barron will be goalkeeper coach as he was before.”



A Pro License holder since 2020, O’Connor was enrolled on the course alongside former Ireland internationals Damien Duff, Robbie Keane, Keith Andrews and Andy Reid.

And while on the course, the former Cockhill Celtic stalwart was able to broaden his horizons by learning from his peers.

“There's some brilliant learning on the course itself,” O’Connor explains. “You're getting some great insight from other managers like Michael O'Neill (who gave a presentation).

“The best part of the lot is probably around the club visits. We went to Celtic and Union St Gilloise in Belgium.

“What you learn there is valuable for when you want to go into management.

“It also gives you a good understanding - by studying the different countries and styles - of how you want to play yourself.



“They want you to create your own management style, how you want to play and how you want to deal with people and manage it. But there's situations and scenarios that you wouldn't have come across that you’ll have to deal with as you go.

“Maybe there's no real preparation for them until you're actually in the role.

“(But) as much as the club visits were a brilliant learning, I would say the learning from the candidates was brilliant.

“You would learn as much from the other candidates as you would from club visits and presentations. Some players would have given you a great insight into managers that they would have worked with and how they dealt with things.

“Damien Duff was there and worked with Jose Mourinho and others like that, so that was great.”

A construction and woodwork teacher in Balbriggan Community College, O’Connor’s real-world experience of working in the Premier Division under Horgan and Myler will come in handy.

And he will be looking to construct his own winning formula in the Belfield hotseat.

“I would have started coaching when playing intermediate football,” the Donegal man explains.

“I started coaching at the underage level with my local club Cockhill Celtic.

“Through the schools, I managed Ulster schools so I got to know Ollie Horgan from that.

“But Ollie was actually managing in the Ulster Senior League (with Fanad United) as well against us so I would have known him from that.

“Ollie went into Finn Harps then and I went in with him as first-team coach for five years which was an unbelievable learning in terms of going from intermediate to senior football.

“You get an insight of the detail, commitment and the organisation involved.

“It was really brilliant for me in terms of what I learned, especially working with Ollie and Paul Hegarty.  They're incredible coaches and incredibly good people who are really good at what they do. There's a lot that you would take from that.

“I was then managing Shelbourne’s under-19s for a short time before I moved to UCD to the assistant role. I also managed the Irish schools for a few years as well so between that I've got ten years of experience in the League of Ireland. 

“Hopefully that'll give me a good standing ahead of my first job in management. The last two years in UCD have been brilliant with Andy Myler as well.

“He is a brilliant manager who did a brilliant job. I’ve taken a lot from how he managed.”

Heading into the 2024 campaign, O’Connor’s young guns have already caught the eye in the CUFL Premier Division.

The Sky Blues blitzed the competition to lift the title in Athlone against Trinity College with a 5-0 victory in the decider.

And with the Leinster Senior Cup and Harding Cup to follow before the start of the League of Ireland season, the new-look Students are likely to be in fine fettle ahead of their season opener against Bray Wanderers on February 16.

There is also a scheduled friendly against English non-league side Rushden & Diamonds set to take place a week before the season starts.

“It's a busy time and schedule,” O’Connor admits. “But we have a brilliant S&C coach Maria (Monahan) who will do most of the managing of loads in terms of minutes in pre-season and going into the start of the season as she did last year.

“There's a good bit of management in that but you're better off playing competitive games.

“The more you play, the better you are going to get. The lads are getting plenty of games and it's a crucial part of their development.”

Despite dropping down from the Premier Division, UCD will likely head into the First Division as outsiders to compete for the league title with Cork City languishing in the second-tier.

But could that tag favour the Students?

“There's some big teams in the First Division. Cork City are there and others have signed really well,” O’Connor concedes. “But we've got a good squad there.

“There are a lot of lads in their first year who will be with us for the next three to four years.

“But having experienced the Premier Division last year means that the squad will hopefully be good enough to have a good season and compete.

“We're looking forward to the season. The boys came back and we have a brilliant hunger about us. They're raring to go and they're hungry like they're there to compete. They're there to win.

“They're there to challenge after the taste they've got in the Premier Division. That's what they want to get back to.

“That's where they want to be playing, as does every other player in the First Division.

“The First Division is going to be incredibly tough this year.

“There are some great sides in it but we'll be looking to push on and challenge and do as best we can.”

About Andrew Dempsey

View Full Profile