Darren Moore is not expected to be appointed as Barnsley‘s next permanent manager as the Tykes’ search for a new boss continues.
The Oakwell club are on a hunt for a head coach for next season after Conor Hourihane was confirmed to be departing the club ahead of the club’s 2-2 draw with Bradford City.
Moore Ruled Out
Reports earlier in the week had suggested that Darren Moore was a leading contender to replace the Irishman in South Yorkshire, months removed from his sacking at League One relegation candidates Port Vale.
However, according to the Barnsley Chronicle’s Doug O’Kane, this is not the case and the former Sheffield Wednesday man is not in the frame to join the Tykes, while confirming that the search for a new boss was ‘at an advanced stage’.
Moore has previous experience in League One with both the Valiants and Barnsley’s rivals in the Owls, who he guided to promotion to the Championship through the playoffs in 2023.
A former Reds player himself, Moore appeared 75 times for the club between 2008 and 2010 after arriving on a free transfer to help them beat the drop in the second tier both times.
Hourihane Looks To Future
Amid what has been a struggling campaign, only compounded by the financial situation facing the club heading into the summer after a budget cut was confirmed, Barnsley and manager Conor Hourihane reached a decision to part ways at the end of the season, confirmed the morning of their draw against Bradford at Oakwell.
Speaking to the Chronicle following the game, the 35-year-old spoke of his future plans after leaving after just over a year in charge permanently.
“I want to be head coach in the game. Don’t get me wrong. Do I feel like this last 15 months is going to make me a better head coach moving forward? Absolutely.
“There’s been some challenging moments, some brilliant moments, but the fire is still there to be a successful head coach. And obviously I’d like to put on record, you know, not every person gets an opportunity like this so early in their coaching career.
“So the opportunity that the club have given me for the last 15 months to take over from into interim, into permanent manager. It’s only going to be ever a thanks from me because I feel like I’ll be a significantly better coach moving forward after the experience.”
Is Avoiding Moore Wise?
Despite mounting reports that he was well-poised to take charge at Barnsley, it seems that rumours that Darren Moore was a leading contender were indeed false.
The former Huddersfield Town boss did an admirable job at Port Vale despite the way his tenure ended, lifting them back into League One with a stellar campaign last season before struggling to recover from the loss of leading goalscorer Lorent Tolaj to Plymouth Argyle.
Barnsley would have been a good fit for the 51-year-old, with his experience working under limited resources best highlighted in his promotion with Sheffield Wednesday back in 2023 under the early stages of Dejphon Chansiri’s attempted destruction of the club.
Ultimately, the Tykes have lined up other candidates which have not been named as of yet, and whether they can handle the restraints put on them from above will be key if they are to stabilise and try and rebound from a disappointing season.
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