Ireland’s rise from an Associate nation to a Full Member (Test status in 2017) has been driven by a mix of home-grown staff, long-serving overseas coaches and short-term specialist appointments. Cricket Ireland’s first full-time head coach was appointed in 1995, and since then the country has passed through a small number of high-impact head coaches. who helped Ireland produce famous World Cup upsets and ultimately achieve Test status.
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List of Ireland National cricket team coaches: Full list 1995–2025
| No. | Coach / Role | Stint | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mike Hendrick | 1995–1999 | England |
| 2 | Ken Rutherford | 1999–2001 | New Zealand |
| 3 | Adrian Birrell | 2002–2007 | South Africa |
| 4 | Phil Simmons | 2007–2015 | West Indies (Trinidad & Tobago) |
| 5 | John Bracewell | 2015–2017 | New Zealand |
| 6 | Graham Ford | 2017–2021 | South Africa |
| 7 | David Ripley (interim) | Nov 2021–Feb 2022 | England |
| 8 | Heinrich Malan | 2022–present (2022–2025) | South Africa |
| 9 | Roy Torrens (team manager) | 2004–2016 | Ireland |
| 10 | M. V. Narasimha Rao (assistant/consultant) | 2011 (World Cup support) | India |
| 11 | Brett Lee (bowling coach short term) | Feb 2015 (WC build-up) | Australia |
| 12 | Ryan Eagleson (fast-bowling / performance coach) | appointed 2021–2022 onward (support staff) | Ireland / Northern Ireland |
Mike Hendrick (1995–1999) England
Mike Hendrick, a former England fast bowler, became Ireland’s first full-time head coach in 1995. Under his stewardship Ireland won regional honours in the mid-1990s and he helped lay the early professional structures for the side; his contract ended in 1999 and he later returned to Ireland in other coaching roles.
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Ken Rutherford (1999–2001) New Zealand
Ex-New Zealand captain Ken Rutherford was appointed to guide Ireland through the 1999–2001 cycle (including ICC Trophy campaigns). His brief was to help Ireland develop for global qualifying tournaments and to build experience against stronger opposition.
Adrian Birrell (2002–2007) South Africa
Adrian Birrell (born in South Africa) is best known for leading Ireland at the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup, when Ireland reached the Super Eights and produced headline wins (including Pakistan) and a tie with Zimbabwe. That World Cup run is widely regarded as a turning point for Irish cricket. Birrell stepped down after the 2007 tournament.
Phil Simmons (2007–2015) West Indies
Phil Simmons succeeded Birrell and became Ireland’s longest-serving and most influential head coach to date. Simmons helped Ireland qualify for and compete at multiple ICC events; he was in charge during the 2011 World Cup (Ireland famously beat England) and the 2015 campaign and oversaw the team through a sustained period of progress on the world stage.
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John Bracewell (2015–2017) New Zealand
John Bracewell took over after Simmons (appointed in 2015). During his tenure Ireland made important strides Bracewell was part of the coaching leadership as Ireland moved toward Full Member / Test status in 2017. He stepped down in mid-2017 at the end of his contract.
Graham Ford (2017–2021) South Africa
Graham Ford was appointed in 2017 and led the team through the early Test era and the difficult Covid-19 years; he resigned in November 2021 citing the strain of the pandemic and the challenges around international scheduling.
David Ripley (interim Nov 2021–Feb 2022) England
Dave Ripley was brought in on a short-term interim basis after Ford’s departure to lead the side through a winter schedule (USA/West Indies tour and qualification windows). His appointment was explicitly interim while Cricket Ireland conducted a permanent search.
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Heinrich Malan (2022–present) South Africa
Heinrich Malan was appointed Head Coach in January 2022 (taking up the role in March 2022) on an initial three-year deal; he has since had his contract extended (reported extension to mid-2027) and remains the head coach as of 2025. Malan arrived with years of domestic and A-team coaching experience (New Zealand/South Africa) and has focused on building depth across formats.
Notable managers & short-term / specialist appointments
- Roy Torrens (team manager, 2004–2016) long-serving Irish manager who was an influential figure behind the scenes during Ireland’s World Cup successes and the build-up to Test status.
- M. V. Narasimha Rao (assistant / consultant, 2011) Indian coach who worked with Ireland in an assistant/consultancy role during the 2011 World Cup set-up.
- Brett Lee (short-term bowling coach, Feb 2015) the former Australia paceman joined Ireland on a short contract to work with the bowlers in the build-up to the 2015 World Cup.
- Ryan Eagleson (fast-bowling / performance roles, appointed 2021/2022 onward) former Irish seamer who has been part of the national coaching setup in recent years as the fast-bowling/performance coach.
