The FAI has torn up its traditional underage coaching setup and replaced it with something more ambitious — nine full-time coaches spanning every age group from Under-15 to Under-19, all working in tandem rather than in siloed age brackets.
Noel Hunt and Graham Gartland are among the headline names. Hunt, who managed Reading in League One and is currently completing his UEFA Pro Licence, slots in as one of five International Lead Coaches. Gartland, who worked as assistant at Dundee and spent years embedded in Shamrock Rovers' academy structures, joins as one of four International Coaches.
Who's in and what they bring
The full-time International Lead Coaches are Hunt, Chelsea Noonan, John Cotter, Keith O'Halloran, and James Scott. Working alongside them as International Coaches: Conor McCormack, Gartland, Mark Connors, and Richie Smith.
The breadth of experience is real. Noonan has just come from Birmingham City Women, who earned WSL promotion, and previously coached Ireland's Under-17 women and an A-League Women's side in Australia. O'Halloran was assistant with the Ireland Women's Under-19s at the 2024 UEFA Women's Under-19 Euros. Scott has led the Ireland Women's Under-17s since 2019. Cotter was Colin O'Brien's assistant at the 2025 FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Qatar — before O'Brien was made redundant before Christmas.
McCormack is a League of Ireland lifer — 400-plus appearances across Shamrock Rovers, St Pats, Derry City, Cork City, and Galway United — and was recently part of the Ireland men's Under-19 coaching set-up. Connors, meanwhile, guided the Ireland men's Under-17s to qualification for the 2026 FIFA Under-17 World Cup. Smith brings academy experience from Rovers, St Pat's, and UCD.
What the model actually changes
The FAI's stated goal is to "transition away from a traditional age-group model" and build something more joined-up across development phases. In practice, that means coaches won't be locked to one age group — they'll move across the pathway, creating consistency in how young players are coached and identified from 15 onwards.
Whether it works depends entirely on execution, and on how well these coaches actually integrate rather than defaulting to their comfort zones. But the intent is sound. Ireland's underage pipeline has produced genuine talent in recent years, and keeping that momentum requires a structure that doesn't reset itself every time a player moves up an age group.
FAI Technical Director Shane Robinson put it plainly: "We wanted to build a full-time coaching structure that is more connected, collaborative and aligned across the pathway." Full-time appointments across the board is the key detail — this isn't a part-time advisory setup bolted onto existing club roles. These are dedicated roles, and that alone marks a shift in how seriously the FAI is treating this level.
