[BFC SITE] Conor Hourihane: "There's no time to waste."

Beginning his first full day as Barnsley Football Club Men’s First Team Interim Head Coach, Conor Hourihane sat down to discuss the opportunity of leading the Reds until the end of the season.


The Irishman, a familiar and much-loved figure at Oakwell, returned to the Club in the summer of 2024 in a player-coach role. After calling time on his distinguished playing career in December, he has spent the second half of the campaign working closely within the coaching setup.

Now tasked with leading the side for the remainder of the season, Hourihane is determined to approach this latest chapter with the same professionalism and passion he demonstrated in a Reds shirt.

Reflecting on the recent departure of Darrell Clarke, Conor was quick to express his gratitude towards the former Head Coach and the role he played in his development.

"Really disappointing for Darrell. Obviously, it's never nice when someone loses their job. I want to thank him personally for the opportunity he gave me to come back to the Club. The roles and responsibilities he gave me over the course of the time we've worked together has been brilliant for me in terms of my development. A big thanks to him from me personally and I wish him all the best. Moving forward, it's never easy, when someone loses their job, but he's been brilliant with me from day one since I've come in. I'd like to put on record, really, my thanks towards him."

The news of his appointment was delivered by Sporting Director, Mladen Sormaz, which came while he was away on a course at St George’s Park, and it’s fair to say things have moved quickly for the former Reds skipper since.

"It's been a whirlwind. I was in St George's Park on a course day today, got a phone call earlier on in the day to let me know the news and how it was going to go. Really grateful for the Club for the opportunity. I came straight up here, left the course there, and it's time to get down to work and hit the the opportunity head on."

Part of Hourihane’s first steps as Interim Head Coach has been shaping his backroom team. Working alongside Martin Devaney and Jon Stead With Tom Harban joining him on a day-to-day basis and Matt Gilks continuing his role as goalkeeping coach, the Irishman is building a staff he knows he can rely on.

"Tom Harban, I've pushed for that myself. Since I've come into the Club, me and Tom have spoken a lot and had a close relationship. He's not been with us day to day, but I really like him as a coach. Really like him as a guy. I think he's a brilliant coach. I think he's got a lot to give. So to have him up with me and working with me closely, personally, it's going to be brilliant. I'll lean on him a lot. So it's great to have him.

"Matt Gilks, the goalkeeping coach, is just in the door, but brilliant guy. Got on with him great so far, since he's come in, loads of experience, so he'll be staying as well. But the big one really is Tom Harban coming up, and I'm delighted that he's accepted to come up. We'll form a relationship together and work forwards for success for the Club."

There is little time for reflection, however. Hourihane has immediately thrown himself into preparations for the Reds’ upcoming home clash against Mansfield Town, a fixture he knows will demand focus and intensity from the off.

"It's going to start right away, myself and Tom Yeomans, the Head Analyst, will will start working on that this evening. Really time to get down to work. No time to waste. Couple of days, obviously, on the grass, Thursday, Friday. But wanted to get up here and get started on that straight away. We've had an idea of them (Mansfield Town) over the last few days, because you look at them prior to any game. But really to form the team, the shape, the identity, and get down to work straight away. There's no time to waste really."

Looking ahead to Saturday’s game, Hourihane admits it will be an emotional moment leading the Reds in Mansfield. His bond with the Barnsley supporters has never wavered, and he’s hoping that togetherness can help drive the Reds forward in these crucial final weeks.

"Yeah, it'll be pretty special, if I'm being honest. It'd be pretty emotional. The fans, what they mean to me, the Club, the opportunity, the past that we've had before. They've always been unbelievable with me, and they still are to this day. You know, I'll treat the opportunity with the utmost hard work, respect standards demand, and hopefully I'll give them some good results on the pitch. I'm sure they'll be right behind me from the get go, and we've always had a great relationship, a close relationship over the years, even when I wasn't at the club. And I know without even asking them, that they'll give me my full support, and they'll be right behind me. So it'll be an emotional one, but I know to be loud and proud to come Saturday."

Hourihane’s message is clear—hard work, unity and pride will be the foundation as the Reds aim for a strong end to the 24/25 season.

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