Oran Kearney

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Oran Kearney
Personal information
Date of birth (1978-07-29) 29 July 1978 (age 47)
Place of birth Ballymoney, Northern Ireland
Position Midfielder
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
Moyola Park
2002–2005 Ballymena United 78 (23)
2005–2009 Linfield
Managerial career
2009–2011 Limavady United
2011–2018 Coleraine
2018–2019 St Mirren
2019–2024 Coleraine
2025– Ballymena United
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Oran Kearney (born 29 July 1978) is a Northern Irish professional football manager and former player who is the current manager of NIFL Premiership side Ballymena United.

Contents

Playing career

Kearney joined Ballymena United from Moyola Park in 2002, after father-in-law Kenny Shiels became manager of the club. [1]

In 2005, Kearney joined Linfield.[ citation needed ] On 30 April 2009, Kearney announced his retirement. [2]

Managerial career

In May 2009, Kearney was appointed manager of Limavady United. [3] He then became manager of Coleraine in February 2011. Kearney guided Coleraine to win the Irish Cup in 2018 and second place in the NIFL Premiership in 2017–18. [4] Kearney combined managing Coleraine with working as a PE teacher at the Cross and Passion College in Ballycastle. [4]

Kearney interviewed for the St Mirren job in June 2018, but Alan Stubbs was appointed instead. [4] Stubbs was sacked by St Mirren after four matches in the 2018–19 Scottish Premiership, and Kearney was appointed as his replacement. [4] St Mirren finished 11th in the Premiership and avoided relegation by winning a play-off against Dundee United. [5] Kearney left St Mirren on 26 June 2019, after only 10 months at the club. [5]

He returned to Coleraine in July 2019 for a second spell as their manager. [6] In May 2024, Kearney stepped down as manager to move into a sporting director position. [7]

In May 2025, Kearney left his role of Sporting Director at Coleraine, [8] quickly following manager Dean Shiels, his brother-in-law, out of the club.

On 7th December 2025, it was announced that Kearney had been appointed manager of Ballymena United, a team he made 121 appearances for as a player. [9]

Personal life

Kearney is the son-in-law of former Derry City manager Kenny Shiels, and brother-in-law of Dean Shiels who was a former manager of Coleraine. [10]

Managerial statistics

As of match played 6 May 2024
Managerial record by team and tenure
TeamFromToRecordRef.
PWDLWin %
Limavady United 4 May 20095 February 20114729612061.70 [11]
Coleraine 5 February 20117 September 20183361558596046.13 [12]
St Mirren 7 September 201826 June 20193881020021.05 [13]
Coleraine 3 July 201931 May 20242221065165047.75 [14]
Total643298152193046.35—

Honours

Player

Linfield

Manager

Coleraine

St Mirren

References

  1. ↑ "Season-by-Season 2002/03". Ballymena United F.C. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  2. ↑ "Oran Kearney announces retirement". Linfield F.C. 30 April 2009. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  3. ↑ "Oran Kearney confirmed as new Limavady boss". Londonderry Sentinel. 4 May 2009. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "St Mirren name Coleraine coach and PE teacher Oran Kearney as new manager". The Guardian. 7 September 2018. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  5. 1 2 "Oran Kearney: St Mirren confirm manager's departure". BBC Sport. 26 June 2019. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  6. ↑ "Oran Kearney: Former manager returns for second spell at Coleraine". BBC Sport. 3 July 2019. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  7. ↑ "Shiels and Kearney new Coleraine roles confirmed". BBC Sport NI. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  8. ↑ "Kearney joins Shiels in leaving Coleraine". BBC Sport. 1 May 2025. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  9. ↑ "Kearney appointed manager of Ballymena United". BBC Sport. 7 December 2025. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
  10. ↑ Macintyre, Kenny (6 September 2018). "Oran Kearney 'ready' to take on St Mirren role". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  11. ↑ "Limavady United FC: Matches". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  12. ↑ "Coleraine FC: Matches". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  13. ↑ Lamont, Alasdair (7 September 2018). "St Mirren appoint Oran Kearney as manager on a three-year deal". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
    "Oran Kearney announced as new manager". St Mirren FC. 7 September 2018. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  14. ↑ "Coleraine FC: Matches". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
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