A key factor in that turnaround is Billy Walsh, an easy-going 53-year-old native of Wexford, Ireland, who until last November was coaching his country’s national team.
In late 2014, seeking to bring in a new head coach with strong international experience, USA Boxing had approached Walsh, who in his 12 years at the helm had taken an Irish program that qualified just one boxer for the 2000 Games to seven Olympic medals and perennial honors in European and world championship tournaments.
“We did an international search,” says Michael Martino, executive director of USA Boxing, “and Billy Walsh was highly recommended. He had the experience, the temperament and the contacts and relationships throughout international amateur boxing.”
For his part Walsh—who began boxing at age seven in a Christian Brothers gym on Wexford Town’s Wolfe Tone Terrace and went on to represent Ireland as a welterweight in the 1988 Olympics—was intrigued. “I’d always said,” he recalls, “that if I ever left Ireland it would be for the sleeping giant of amateur boxing.”
….Martino is one of many now celebrating the results—even if mixing his sports metaphors in the process—saying, “I think we hit a homerun with Billy.”
*punches self in face*
Under Billy Walsh’s guidance, USA boxing experiencing a tremendous turnaround (Sports Illustrated)
Earlier: Meanwhile, In Rio
Previously: Billy Walsh on broadsheet
I think the link to the story may be broken?
Thanks Jonjo, fixed now. Sorry
Hows that PR “refutation” working out for ya lads?
hundreds of Billy Walshs in Ireland, we don’t need him, he was getting too big for his boots anways
Thankfully there is only one dav
<3
As distinct from people filling their boots
Boom Boom
…hope the blazers choke on their prawn sandwiches on the way back from Rio…
Oh the bit of a pay rise Billy was looking for looks cheap money now!
It sounds to me like Billy was being extremely difficult to deal with. Then he leaves suddenly leaving an obtuse statement and refuses to speak to the press. He has never properly explained what happened.
He clearly is very good at his job but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t being unreasonable.
+1. Total sly.
So basically your saying good riddance?!
The Irish will excuse any sort of nonsense!
“Then he leaves suddenly leaving an obtuse statement and refuses to speak to the press”
That’s nonsense, I heard him being interviewed on several occasions after he left.
So, he never explained it, and no one else has, and you therefore come to the conclusion that he was ‘extremely’ difficult to deal with. Good on ye. You’d make a great Garda
He wasn’t being unreasonable. He was being messed around by the IABA committee.
Ireland’s loss is most definitely the US’s gain.
Untrue – he gave at least one frank and honest interview on the wireless after the debacle.
The opposite seemed clear to me.
It seemed as if the duffers playing politics in the IABA were mistreating him – they wanted the perks & the control without the responsibility.
same way we lost johnny sexton to the french league. not giving a deserved pay rise, and presuming the honour of plying your trade in ireland would be enough. nothing .. and i mean nothing .. is run well in ireland. we arent good in control, bring back the Brits i say, dont give us power anymore we abuse it and dont know what to do with it.
Go fvck yourself.
Heh
Surely you mean fcuk?
We lost jonny to the french because they actually had the money to pay his wages, leinster didnt. Stop talking absolute rubbish about things you know nothing about. Not everything in life can be solved by shouting ‘we already pay’ at the top of your voice.
Look’it
The Sceptics set out to get the best man for the job
And they did
And made the Carruth’s day too
God abandoned Katie, He works in mysterious ways.