What do you think of when Jim Gavin comes to mind?
Is he the ultimate professional? Someone that has drilled Dublin to being one of the best teams ever and undoubtedly the best team in the land?
Much is made of Gavin’s military past. There’s a perception that he seeks discipline in everything Dublin do and if you’re going to do something, you might as well do it right.
The most impressive aspect of Jim Gavin's management that he doesn't get enough credit for | SportsJOE.ie https://t.co/FgZFTbbTex
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) May 4, 2017
But the Dublin manager’s involvement with the military is not what it used to be. He resigned his commission over seven years ago and now works with the Irish Aviation Authority as assistant director.
The 46-year-old was interviewed on RTÉ’s Countrywide to promote his work with Bóthar over the Christmas period and was asked about his job:
“The day job is I’m assistant director there. In in the Aviation Authourity. We have the safety oversight of the civil aviation system.
“There is a great team of people there and we have oversight on Irish airlines. We’re the regulator for civil aviation.”
Gavin detailed how he would oversee flights, the training and management systems in airlines and it’s an industry that never sleeps, so much so that after Dublin’s All-Ireland win he was already straight back to work:
“I took one or two bits of correspondence, I wouldn’t make too much of it,” he tried to play it down a little.
“Aviation. It’s a real demanding industry but I think anybody in that industry in aviation is very passionate about it.”
After the full-time whistle blew back in September and Dublin won their third All-Ireland title in a row, Gavin remained calm and did not celebrate as one would expect and explained that it is because it’s all about the players:
“I’m excited for the players. I mean, I’m there to serve them. We’re really fortunate in Dublin, first and foremost, a great club structure.
“After the game, it is all about the players. It’s not about me or my management team of the backroom team.
“I didn’t think I did anything wrong,” Gavin concluded with a laugh.
Gavin also revealed that he used to regularly fly the government jet in the interview which you can hear more of here.
