Bernard Dunne appointed high performance director

Tiriel

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/other-sports/bernard-dunne-appointed-high-performance-director-for-irish-boxing-1.3063389

I've always liked Bernard, here's hoping it brings fresh approach to the system.

Too Tough To Die

I'm guessing this was the plan all along when Billy Walsh felt forced into moving on?

Joe_ Public

Quite like Bernard as a pundit and he's definitely an intelligent guy. Not too sure, though, about his credentials for this particular job, presume he must be well enough got with the IABA to have landed it. If he brings much needed stability, he will do a good job anyway. Wish him best of luck, he will definitely need it.

walshb

Bernard must have impressed them if he beat Eddie O'Sullivan to the job.

Bernard's stint with GAA Dublin will have really have helped, as well as the fact that his life is/was boxing.

Kind of surprised that this thread took so long to surface. Old news!

Jayesdiem

I think the Dublin experience means absolutely nothing to this role. This is a leadership role, not a coaching role as far as i know and being a small and sporadic cog in the Dublin wheel bears no resemblance to heading up a national governing body. His boxing pedigree and experience of Irish and international boxing will obviously be his strength.

walshb

Jayesdiem wrote: »

I think the Dublin experience means absolutely nothing to this role. This is a leadership role, not a coaching role as far as i know and being a small and sporadic cog in the Dublin wheel bears no resemblance to heading up a national governing body. His boxing pedigree and experience of Irish and international boxing will obviously be his strength.

You reckon it made no difference to his application? Maybe he left it off the cv, even....

Of course it was considered, and rightly so.

Joe_ Public

walshb wrote: »

Bernard must have impressed them if he beat Eddie O'Sullivan to the job.

Bernard's stint with GAA Dublin will have really have helped, as well as the fact that his life is/was boxing.

Kind of surprised that this thread took so long to surface. Old news!

Not everybody is as in the know as you are you understand

Bernard's life may be boxing but there's plenty of lifelong boxers who made terrible managers/coaches and the same goes for all sports. It just seems a bit odd that his first major role in the sport outside the ring is the top job in the Irish amateur set-up, feels like he hasn't paid his dues yet. I guess the competition might not have been that stiff, even though there are apparently 20 Billy Walshes out there somewhere, maybe Eddie didn't get all his ducks in a row during his interview!

An intriguing enough appointment I suppose. Interesting times ahead.

Jayesdiem

walshb wrote: »

Jayesdiem wrote: »

I think the Dublin experience means absolutely nothing to this role. This is a leadership role, not a coaching role as far as i know and being a small and sporadic cog in the Dublin wheel bears no resemblance to heading up a national governing body. His boxing pedigree and experience of Irish and international boxing will obviously be his strength.

You reckon it made no difference to his application? Maybe he left it off the cv, even....

Of course it was considered, and rightly so.

I don't think it was left off his CV but he is now an administrator. His previous experience with Dublin may as well have been in carpentry.

alanceltic

Right man
Right time
Right place

There isn't a better man to rebuild it from the bottom up

Strazdas

Reading the IABA's job requirements on another website :

 Minimum of 4 years working in a High Performance system in the same role, or a
similar key position leading and managing High Performance sport outcomes;
 Demonstrated success in building High Performance systems, processes and
programmes, managing people and a culture of personal excellence that underpins
athlete performance and deliver world class performance results;
 Proven ability to plan and deliver on strategic direction, detailed operational planning,
reporting and aligning stakeholders to maximise their contributions;
 Demonstrated experience in effectively managing financial resources and programme
budgets;
 Demonstrated experience of managing complex partnerships and inspiring and
leading staff to deliver world class outcomes;
 Deep understanding of the key drivers of high performance to achieve International
sporting success;
 Strong track record and proven leadership skills including leading change and
developing talent and getting the best out of people;
 Proven ability to manage conflict effectively and stay calm under pressure;
 Demonstrates personal high performance characteristics including strong work ethic,
professional approach with high performance demeanour, driven to achieve, honesty
with integrity, team player, committed to learning and personal growth;
 Outstanding communication and management skills;
 Displays a good understanding of IABA’s High Performance Programme and an
awareness of Ireland’s sports system and the role of key stakeholders.


Does Bernard fulfill even half of these? Perhaps some of them, but definitely not the first four or five.

walshb

One requirement that he most likely fills, and which for me is D most important, a passion and love for the sport...so he may not meet all requirements, big deal.

Time will tell on how he gets on. But not always the most qualified person gets or succeeds in positions, and not always the less qualified gets or succeeds.

It is not an exact science.

Strazdas

walshb wrote: »

One requirement that he most likely fills, and which for me is D most important, a passion and love for the sport...so he may not meet all requirements, big deal.

Time will tell on how he gets on. But not always the most qualified person gets or succeeds in positions, and not always the less qualified gets or succeeds.

It is not an exact science.

In theory I would agree, though I wouldn't say that Bernard is 'less qualified' but rather has no professional qualifications at all as laid out in terms of their own criteria, bar being a well known and popular figure in Irish boxing.

Tiriel

Strazdas wrote: »

In theory I would agree, though I wouldn't say that Bernard is 'less qualified' but rather has no professional qualifications at all as laid out in terms of their own criteria, bar being a well known and popular figure in Irish boxing.

Did Billy Walsh tick all of the boxes, out of curiosity?

Joe_ Public

Ah, the old canard passion! Remember Steve Staunton when he got the job as Irish soccer manager and how he was going to restore "passion" in the green jersey. And Davey Fitzgerald, never misses a chance to tell us how much "passion" he has for hurling, usually after he has lost the head and earned himself another touchline ban and not really helping his team at all.

Passion and a love of your sport should be the absolute bare minimum for an appointment to a key job, it is a starting point, not a reason why somebody should be deemed a perfect fit.

walshb

I never said passion and love are the only requirement..

Eddie as far as I know has no passion or love of boxing. He well could have gotten the job. And he could have been a great fit. Who knows.

It's not a bare minimum requirement. For me it stands out more than a lot of other stuff. Of course, you need other stuff.

Joe_ Public

Have to admit been a bit out of the loop recently and hadnt read the reports.....i understood the Eddie O'Sullivan reference to be a joke. The mind boggles....

alanceltic

Strazdas wrote: »

has no professional qualifications at all as laid out in terms of their own criteria

This is factually incorrect, I am not going into the specifics for your benefit but you can rest assured that he is more than qualified in a professional and academic capacity, just because you dont know does not mean its ok for you to assume.

Strazdas wrote: »

Reading the IABA's job requirements on another website :

Does Bernard fulfill even half of these? Perhaps some of them, but definitely not the first four or five.

You do understand that he has held the title of "Performance & Lifestyle Coach" with the Dublin senior football team for the last 4 years? One of the most professionally run teams in the country (and some) and during a period of unprecedented success.

Like i said previously the right man at the right time in the right place.

Strazdas

alanceltic wrote: »

This is factually incorrect, I am not going into the specifics for your benefit but you can rest assured that he is more than qualified in a professional and academic capacity, just because you dont know does not mean its ok for you to assume.



You do understand that he has held the title of "Performance & Lifestyle Coach" with the Dublin senior football team for the last 4 years? One of the most professionally run teams in the country (and some) and during a period of unprecedented success.

Like i said previously the right man at the right time in the right place.

Has he? I imagine a lot of people would have been quite vague about his role with the Dublin GAA team, apart from being some sort of motivational figure. This was one way I have seen him described in the past :

Bernard Dunne (lifestyle coach): Involved since 2013, the former WBA super bantamweight champion has described his role as “helping Jim in any way I can”.

Joe_ Public

Apologies for going off topic in advance here, but considering Eddie O'Sullivan for the HP boxing director really perplexes me....just cant see any basis behind it at all, still think there is some kind of joke there...

Anyway in this country we have:
Brian Kerr - probably the most knowledgeable soccer guy in the country, proven track record winning and developing players: the FAI seemingly wont offer him a job doing what he is best at.

Eddie O'Sullivan - one of the most knowledgable rugby guys in the country, proven track record etc etc : the IRFU seemingly won't offer him a job doing what he is best at.

Seems to me we develop the odd bit of real talent in this country and then treat it so casually as if it grows on trees. Would lead you to despair sometimes.

Joe_ Public

Tiriel wrote: »

Did Billy Walsh tick all of the boxes, out of curiosity?

I know question wasn't directed towards me, but my answer would be yes, nearly all if not all of them, most of them resoundingly so.

CatFromHue

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Apologies for going off topic in advance here, but considering Eddie O'Sullivan for the HP boxing director really perplexes me....just cant see any basis behind it at all, still think there is some kind of joke there...

Anyway in this country we have:
Brian Kerr - probably the most knowledgeable soccer guy in the country, proven track record winning and developing players: the FAI seemingly wont offer him a job doing what he is best at.

Eddie O'Sullivan - one of the most knowledgable rugby guys in the country, proven track record etc etc : the IRFU seemingly won't offer him a job doing what he is best at.

Seems to me we develop the odd bit of real talent in this country and then treat it so casually as if it grows on trees. Would lead you to despair sometimes.

First up I'm an Eddie guy, it actually disgusts me that he hasn't got a look in on any of the jobs going in Irish rugby the last few years.

I can see why Eddie would have applied for the role and why people with little or no boxing experience would be suited for it. As far as I know it's not a hands on coaching role but more of a business or pathway creation/management role. Considering Eddie's management experience not just in Ireland but also in the US where he worked too I've no doubt he could have done the job.

Did Gary Keagan box? I'm just looking him up and it doesn't mention any boxing past but it's interesting to see what he's done since leaving boxing as a good administrator is frankly even more important than a good player. The FAI seem to lurch from catastrophe to catastrophe for example but you don't hear anything from the IRFU.

I wish Dunne the best but it looks like the driving factor in him getting the job was his boxing experience which may not come into play as much as you would think in such a role.

Joe_ Public

CatFromHue wrote: »

First up I'm an Eddie guy, it actually disgusts me that he hasn't got a look in on any of the jobs going in Irish rugby the last few years.

I can see why Eddie would have applied for the role and why people with little or no boxing experience would be suited for it. As far as I know it's not a hands on coaching role but more of a business or pathway creation/management role. Considering Eddie's management experience not just in Ireland but also in the US where he worked too I've no doubt he could have done the job.

Did Gary Keagan box? I'm just looking him up and it doesn't mention any boxing past but it's interesting to see what he's done since leaving boxing as a good administrator is frankly even more important than a good player. The FAI seem to lurch from catastrophe to catastrophe for example but you don't hear anything from the IRFU.

I wish Dunne the best but it looks like the driving factor in him getting the job was his boxing experience which may not come into play as much as you would think in such a role.

I have a feeling Gary Keegan boxed as a kid, not entirely certain to be honest and definitely not to a high level, but he had been involved in the sport in a coaching and administrative level for years before he devised the high performance masterplan. Memory escapes me now, but not sure if it was St Saviours or one of the Dublin inner city clubs anyway. Boxing is Keegan's sport, first and foremost, it's where he came from.

I'm not a rugby man by any means, but what I know of O'Sullivan is mostly positive and I share your disgust at his exclusion which I can only assume is because his face doesn't suit with certain suits (as is most definitely the case with Brian Kerr).

Still, I can't agree that boxing knowledge or an intimate feel for the spor isn't a prerequisite for a HP director. I think even the very idea of such an appointment is bordering on sheer lunacy.

walshb

Keegan has a deep boxing history...

But, depending on the specifics of the role, it doesn't have to be a boxing guy to run it. HP role more about managing and delegating than hands on boxing.

Strazdas

walshb wrote: »

Keegan has a deep boxing history...

But, depending on the specifics of the role, it doesn't have to be a boxing guy to run it. HP role more about managing and delegating than hands on boxing.

The very fact that Dunne was working with Dublin GAA shows that there can be a crossover element.

Joe_ Public

walshb wrote: »

Keegan has a deep boxing history...

But, depending on the specifics of the role, it doesn't have to be a boxing guy to run it. HP role more about managing and delegating than hands on boxing.

Not saying its totally impossible to run a programme without any specific knowledge or expertise, but I think that's much more applicable to the role of CEO, for example, than a high performance director. The likes of Gary Keegan could translate seamlessly to other sports, I think, because he is a systems expert and uncommonly talented at planning and organisation.

There are a lot of people who could run a programme competently and efficiently, but not many who would excel at it to the same degree.

Donald Trump

walshb wrote: »

Keegan has a deep boxing history...

But, depending on the specifics of the role, it doesn't have to be a boxing guy to run it. HP role more about managing and delegating than hands on boxing.

I don't know his personal boxing history, but I am almost 100% sure he did some hands on stuff like teaching coaching certification courses back in the day. Pre High-Performance Director role. He didn't just walk in off the street into that job. He was very good at it too

section4

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Apologies for going off topic in advance here, but considering Eddie O'Sullivan for the HP boxing director really perplexes me....just cant see any basis behind it at all, still think there is some kind of joke there...

Anyway in this country we have:
Brian Kerr - probably the most knowledgeable soccer guy in the country, proven track record winning and developing players: the FAI seemingly wont offer him a job doing what he is best at.

Eddie O'Sullivan - one of the most knowledgable rugby guys in the country, proven track record etc etc : the IRFU seemingly won't offer him a job doing what he is best at.

Seems to me we develop the odd bit of real talent in this country and then treat it so casually as if it grows on trees. Would lead you to despair sometimes.

And fergal carruth who spent years in the army the chief executive of the iaba, was it him that increased the price if he season ticket to 150 during the recession and drove many a good fan away in disgust , yeah that's great management.

walshb

So a price increase is the making of Fergal? The value for money in that season ticket is phenomenal..

J0E_90

pac_man wrote: »

Probably won't get much attention if I put this in a new thread but some good results over the weekend for the Irish men and women.

-Mccomb beat the world champion and Rio Bronze medalist.
-Walker beat the euro champion
-Harrington beat a decent enough Italian girl
-Mongan beat Nikitin( Russian Conlan faced in Rio)

Okungbowa and O'Neill also both beat the Euro U22 champion and Rio Olympian, and O'Neill was narrowly edged by the Rio gold medalist.

Mongan and Bates also both beat a very good German, and Dean Gardiner beat the Italian guy who beat him in the Olympic box-off last Summer.

McGivern, Carty, Molloy, and Casey all out at the Feliks Stamm at the moment. Molloy into the quarters, Casey bye to the semis, Carty out to the French #1, and McGivern out after a competitive fight with Rio silver medalist (who also beat Mongan and Bates at the weekend)