Kevin McHugh steps down as manager of Finn Harps
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Finn Harps FC have confirmed that Kevin McHugh has stepped down as first team manager and will take up a new position as part of the club's transition to a professional structure.
The Killea native has been manager of the Ballybofey-based club since April 2025, taking over from Darren Murphy.
McHugh, who scored 186 goals in 438 games for the Harps as a player, was assistant to Murphy and had also been Head of Academy at the club, but will stay part of the club in a different role.
A statement from the club read: “As part of the club's move to full-time football, the position of first team manager will become a full-time role.
“The club has spoken with Kevin about this change, and with the demands of the full-time position not suiting his personal circumstances, it has been mutually agreed that Kevin will move into a role that secures his involvement at the club for the long term.
“The club acknowledges that this has been an exceptionally difficult season, and that financial constraints beyond the manager's control limited the resources available to him and the squad.
“The board wishes to place on record its appreciation for the professionalism Kevin has shown in those circumstances.
“Kevin's impact on this club is measurable. Fourteen members of the current senior squad are graduates of the Finn Harps Academy, and academy graduates have contributed over 7,000 first team minutes this season alone.
“Beyond those, numerous other academy players have trained with the first team squad, and an exciting group is now on the verge of first team debuts. Protecting that pathway is essential to the club's future, and Kevin's new role places him at the heart of it.
“The club also wishes to sincerely thank assistant coaches Tommy Canning and Eamon Curry for their dedication and service to the first team over the past number of years. Both have made a significant contribution to the club, and discussions will take place regarding future roles within the new structure.”
Chairperson Ian Harkin said: "I want to thank Kevin for his work this season under real constraint, which the club fully acknowledges. As a player, Kevin remains one of the greatest ever to wear the shirt and one of the most iconic goalscorers the League of Ireland has seen.
“As Head of Academy, he revolutionised our underage structures and built the pathway that has fourteen academy graduates in our current squad, and his work in helping establish a women's pathway leaves a lasting mark.
“Across almost three decades, few people have shaped this club as deeply. As we restructure Finn Harps towards a professional footing, that knowledge is not something we were prepared to lose in a management role, which by its nature has a short life cycle. We need Kevin involved structurally in this club for the long term, and this move secures that."
“Kevin will take a period of leave before commencing the new role, which forms part of the club's wider football structure to be announced in the coming weeks. The club will confirm interim first team arrangements in due course.”