Panthers act swiftly to resolve coaching issue appointing Scully and O’Neill

PORTLAOISE Panthers Basketball Club has moved swiftly to fill the vacant head coach positions for both their Women’s Super League and Men’s National League teams this week.

Jack Scully returns to take charge of the senior men following the dismissal of Ciarán Kiveney earlier this week, while Aaron O’Neill has been brought in as caretaker coach of Portlaoise women’s team until a permanent successor to Ger Jago can be found. He along with Mark Bartkey will assist Scully with the men’s squad.

Scully enjoyed a very successful three-year stint at the helm of Portlaoise Men’s National League team, leading them to both the Division One and National Cup finals back in 2024/25, with Limerick Celtics denying them in both deciders that year.

He had planned to step away from that role, at least for the current season, but the Portlaoise committee had not been encouraged by the team’s 2-2 record a month into their new National League campaign and opted to terminate Kiveney’s short spell in charge in favour of reappointing Scully.

While he had not been anticipating such a swift return, Scully is still relishing the challenge of leading the team again and believes they are in a position to make another serious push on both the league and cup fronts.

“I'm delighted to be back as head coach of the National League team,.” he told the Laois Nationalist. “I had planned on taking the year off, but when Portlaoise made the call to ask me would I be interested in coming back, I couldn't really say no.

“I've been involved in the club for nearly 30 years and I'm always willing to help them out whenever I can, so I’m delighted to be back and I’m delighted to have Aaron O’Neill, Mark Bartley and Mark Dwyer back with me as well.

“I think the team is in a good place to be really competitive this year. Obviously the start to the season hasn't gone exactly how they would have liked, but I think, going forward and, based off what I've seen in the league so far, I think we can be really competitive, and that starts this Friday night against Dublin Lions and then a huge home cup game next Saturday night against Killarney,” he said.

Aaron O’Neill, meanwhile, has a huge challenge on his hands in steadying the ship for Portlaoise Panthers’ Women’s Super League squad.

Five games into the season, and the team sits bottom of the table, awaiting their first win of the campaign, with O’Neill hoping to raise spirits in the wake of their 41-point demolition at the hands of Killester in their last outing on Monday.

Indeed, he insists the attitude and potential is there for the Portlaoise women to turn their season around, telling the Laois Nationalist: “I truly believe that this team can be competitive in Super League.

“One thing that I love about this team, watching them this year and over the years is, despite the challenges they've gone through, they stay fighting and work so hard.

“Any game you watch this year, regardless of what the score was, they were leaving it all on the floor every time. That spark is still there, and, as long as the spark is there in a team, you can make something of it.

“I suppose taking over any team mid-season is never easy, especially with the start the girls have had this season, which has been difficult. But my focus with them this week has just been to take it one day at a time.

“We've had a good week, just to collect ourselves, get ourselves back together and try to get some structure and positivity back into the team,” he said.