Panthers make shock double coaching change as Kiveney and Jago depart

PORTLAOISE Panthers Basketball Club have confirmed the departures of both Men’s National League head coach Ciarán Kiveney and Women’s Super League head coach Ger Jago, less than a month into the 2026/27 campaign.

The double coaching change was announced in a club statement on Tuesday, with Panthers thanking both men for their service while outlining plans to begin the search for successors as the club looks to continue the development of its senior programmes.

Kiveney said he ‘was surprised with the decision’ while Jago acknowledged the difficult position the team had found itself in.

A statement announcing their departure that was released by the club on Tuesday read, ‘Portlaoise Panthers Basketball Club would like to, once again, thank Ger Jago and Ciarán Kiveney for their time, commitment and dedication to our Super League and National League teams respectively.

‘Coaching at this level demands a significant investment of time and energy, often at considerable cost to home and social life. We fully recognise and appreciate the commitment both men have made to the club and its players. Both decisions followed careful consideration and extensive discussion over recent weeks.

‘The club will not comment on individual circumstances around either departure. Both Ger and Ciarán have the full respect of the club and we are committed to maintaining that mutual respect.

‘The process of identifying suitable replacements is now underway. As a club, we recognise how much our National League and Super League programmes have developed in recent years, with both panels now bringing several seasons of experience at this level. Our focus is on appointing coaches whose experience, knowledge and ambitions align with the continued development of these teams.

‘Portlaoise Panthers is an ambitious club, with a long pipeline of juvenile talent progressing through our ranks. These players represent the future of our National and Super League programmes, and we are committed to providing the best possible foundations for their continued development and success.

‘Portlaoise Panthers BC remains focused on the future, the continued development of our teams and players, and the long-term ambitions of the club’ the statement concluded.

While the Portlaoise women have endured a difficult start to their Super League campaign this season, having yet to register a win after five games, the senior men had chalked up two victories over Titans and Maree in their opening four matches.

Kiveney admitted he was surprised to receive the call on Monday, in the wake of Saturday’s 104-100 loss to Malahide, informing him of the decision to replace him.

“I was surprised with the decision,” Kiveney told The Laois Nationalist. “It'll probably be a long time before I even try to understand it, because I thought things were going well.

“I felt we were getting there. There were a few issues that had to be ironed out, but with any team and a new coach, that's going to happen. I felt we were on the right track.

“We had two wins and two losses. A large part of our squad didn't come back until the week before the league started because of different sports and different commitments, so really, of the four games we played, we only had our full squad for one. And we haven’t played in St. Mary’s yet. They were all away games.

“To be fair, Maree are considered one of the top teams in the league and we beat them in Galway. With the Malahide game I knew, defensively, we weren’t up to where we needed to be, but obviously, four games in, and missing two of our starting five for that game, I thought, we can work on that.

“That's what training, this week, was going to be solely focused on, our defensive side, because we've been putting up big numbers scoring wise. We just need to stop other teams doing the same,” he said.

While he did lose the hugely influential Xabi Arriaga to Tipp Talons during the summer, Kiveney nevertheless picked up some big signings in the off-season with the return of forward Rich Ashu and the arrival of Tommy DiRienzo from Team Northwest.

And he believes experienced players of that calibre, combined with the emerging talent in the club, can result in a serious drive for success in Division One this season, the former Portlaoise boss insisting: “I still think, whoever goes in, Portlaoise are still a top-two or three team in the league.” Meanwhile, Jago, who himself had been contending with the loss of several key players in the summer, the likes of Jessica Fressle, Lynn Tunnah and Ciara Byrne, saw his side struggle to gain some traction in Super League over the past month.

And, while they did serve up some gritty performances in recent nine-point losses to Limerick Celtics and defending champions Trinity Meteors, their 41-point blow-out at the hands of Killester on Monday proved to be the final straw.

Jago certainly acknowledged the difficult position the team had found itself in, rooted to the bottom of the table with no points after five games.

“Basketball is a results-based business and we started the season 0 and 5, which I know, as a coach, isn't good enough, the players know isn’t good enough and clearly the committee know isn’t good enough,” he told The Laois Nationalist.

“Trying to rebuild the team and having a lot of injuries, there's only so many excuses you can make at the end of the day. I lost the first five games, so the committee obviously felt it's not working out and so decided to make a change.

“I just wish them all the best in the future and hopefully it works out for them and hopefully it works out for the girls, because I can't fault the girls. They were absolutely fantastic, always gave their all and they were a pleasure to work with,” he stressed.