All-conquering Cody has no end in sight
YOU have to be wired differently to stand the test of time in inter-county management and it’s fair to say that Brian Cody is no ordinary man.
With 11 All-Ireland SHC titles to his name and heading into his 21st season as Kilkenny boss, Cody has broken new ground, but the 64-year-old – referred to as ‘The Boss’ by Kilkenny GAA officials – has little interest in basking in his achievements.
While hurling folk regularly speculate about his future and debate his place among the pantheon of GAA greats, the James Stephens clubman doesn’t complicate matters and has a unique ability to break matters down to their simplest form.
“I never think about anything got to do with it, to be honest with you,” Cody responds when asked if he contemplates a time when he won’t be guiding the Cats on the sideline. “It’s something I happen to be involved with, doing for a while now.
“I don’t start thinking about how long I’m doing it or what’s coming up next or whatever it is. I’ve been doing it. My mindset hasn’t changed with regard to it since I started it.
“The only thing that has happened is the whole thing has gone by very, very quickly. You can start counting years or whatever it is. But I don’t see it like that. It’s not like when you are playing hurling. You get to the stage where you can’t go any more, you can’t play any more. You’d love to keep going forever but you can’t. I’m still underage for the other thing (management) as far as I’m concerned.”
When asked if that type of mentality keeps him sharp and avoids the risk of complacency, his answer is similarly insightful. “I don’t know. I mean, sharp. Just do it. I just do the job. It’s not a job. I’m doing this for quite a while,” he says.
Concerned
“It’s more about the players as far as I’m concerned and more about all the other people who are involved with it. We have a management team. We have a whole backroom team. It is not huge by a long shot.
“But they are the people involved. We have obviously a County Board. We have just hurling in Kilkenny and I am just involved in the whole thing. That’s the way I see it.
“I don’t tend to think about the past. I never think about games I played in either. No, I don’t ever look back too much at all about it. Some people do that. Some people don’t do that. I am one of the fellas that don’t do it.”
While most reckoned that Kilkenny would disappear off the hurling radar during a transitional period, Cody brought a new-look side with the likes of Enda Morrissey, James Maher and John Donnelly to League success last year, something he doesn’t view as a rebuilding process but rather “continuing on”.
The next chapter of that journey comes on Sunday when they welcome All-Ireland champions Limerick to Nowlan Park and Cody – speaking as Glanbia announced a three-year extension of their sponsorship with Kilkenny – has been impressed with the maturity of John Kiely’s side.
“They’re a top-class team with an age profile to give them hope to be there for quite a while. Their form is outstanding and we’re looking forward to the game because we’ll be playing the best team in the country. What’s been said about them by their own people, who see them on the ground, (they) are hugely impressed and proud of everything about them.
“It’s hugely important, how you represent the county, and obviously they’re doing it very well.”