Having overseen Louth’s rise to Division Two, Harte will hope to have a similar impact at Offaly, who were relegated from Division Two in 2022 and needed to win two of their last three games this season to avoid a drop to the fourth tier.
In the Leinster Championship, they beat Laois in the quarter-finals before suffering a comprehensive 3-22 to 0-11 loss to Dublin in the semi-finals and lost all three of their games in the second-tier Tailteann Cup.
“This is great news for Offaly football and Offaly GAA in general,” said Kelly.
“I look forward to working closely with Mickey. He has had huge success over the years and we hope to emulate that in the not-too-distant future.”
Offaly have won three All-Ireland titles, in 1971, 1972 and 1982. Their last National Football League title came in 1998, the same year as their most recent Leinster title.
Speaking of the move, Duignan said he was “delighted” to secure Harte’s services.
“His genuine interest in Offaly GAA and his wealth of experience is what I feel Offaly football needs right now,” said Duignan.
“On behalf of the Offaly County Board, I want to welcome Mickey to the county and I hope all Offaly GAA gaels will come out and show their support to Declan, Mickey and the footballers for the coming year.”
