:Mark O'Leary (cricket coach)
{{short description|Welsh cricket coach}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2021}}
{{similar names|Mark O'Leary (disambiguation){{!}}Mark O'Leary}}
{{Infobox cricketer
| name = Mark O'Leary
| fullname = Mark Daniel O'Leary
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1976|6|19|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Panteg, Gwent, Wales
| role = Coach
| coachclub1 = Western Storm
| coachyear1 = 2020–2021
| coachclub2 = Welsh Fire Women
| coachyear2 = 2021
| date = 16 February
| year = 2022
| source = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/11/11031/11031.html CricketArchive
}}
Mark Daniel O'Leary (born 19 June 1976) is a Welsh cricket coach and former cricketer. He was head coach of Western Storm in 2020 and 2021, and coached the women's team of Welsh Fire in the 2021 season of The Hundred. He previously played cricket for Wales Minor Counties, as well as the second XIs of Glamorgan and Somerset. Prior to being appointed Western Storm's head coach, he worked for two decades at Cardiff Metropolitan University and Cardiff MCCU.{{cite web|url=https://www.thecricketer.com/topics/features/mark_oleary_interview_women_cricket_western_storm_heyhoe_flint_trophy.html|title=Mark O'Leary is all about the player |publisher=the Cricketer |date=25 May 2021 |access-date=10 October 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/11/11031/11031.html|title=Player Profile: Mark O'Leary|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=10 October 2021}}
Career
O'Leary played cricket for Wales Minor Counties between 1995 and 2000, appearing 5 times in the Minor Counties Championship, playing as a right-handed batter and right-arm leg break bowler. He also appeared for Glamorgan Second XI between 1995 and 1997, and Somerset Second XI in 2002. He played club cricket for Sudbrook Cricket Club in Sudbrook, Monmouthshire.
O'Leary has also undertaken various roles at Cardiff Metropolitan University and Cardiff MCCU, eventually becoming head coach of the cricket team and a lecturer at the university. During his time there, he worked with various players who would become professional cricketers, such as Jack Leach, Rory Burns, Alex Milton and Matt Hobden. In 2018, he was named Coach of the Year by the ECB, as a recognition of his contribution to the game over two decades.{{cite web|url=https://www.cardiffmetcricket.com/mark-oleary.html|title=Coach: Mark O'Leary|publisher=CMUCC - The Home of Cardiff Met Cricket |access-date=10 October 2021}}
In 2019, he was named as the bowling coach for Western Storm in the final season of the Women's Cricket Super League, which the side went on to win.{{cite web|url=https://www.gloscricket.co.uk/news/western-storm-name-new-bowling-coach/|title=Western Storm name new bowling coach|publisher=Gloucestershire CCC|access-date=10 October 2021}} Ahead of the following season, 2020, O'Leary was named as the head coach of Western Storm, leading them to second place in the South Group of the new Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy in his first season.{{cite web|url=https://westernstorm.co.uk/news/oleary-appointed-interim-head-coach/|title=O’Leary Appointed Interim Head Coach|publisher=Western Storm |access-date=10 October 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/rachael-heyhoe-flint-trophy-2020-1229289/points-table-standings |title=Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2020/Table|publisher=ESPN Cricinfo|access-date=10 October 2021}} In 2020, he was named assistant coach of Welsh Fire's women's side for the inaugural season of The Hundred. After the tournament was postponed for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, head coach Matthew Mott withdrew from the side, with O'Leary stepping up into the role in his place.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/57553352|title=The Hundred: Meet the Welsh Fire|publisher=BBC Sport |access-date=10 October 2021}} The side finished bottom of the table in the 2021 season.{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/the-hundred-women-s-competition-2021-1252659/points-table-standings |title=The Hundred Women's Competition 2021/Table|publisher=ESPN Cricinfo|access-date=10 October 2021}}
In February 2022, it was announced that O'Leary was stepping down from his role as head coach of Western Storm.{{cite web|url=https://westernstorm.co.uk/news/mark-leaves-western-storm/ |title=Mark leaves Western Storm |publisher=Western Storm |date=16 February 2022 |access-date=16 February 2022}} He was replaced as head coach of Welsh Fire ahead of the 2022 season by Gareth Breese.{{cite web|url=https://www.thecricketer.com/Topics/thehundred/gareth_breese_coach_welsh_fire_women_the_hundred.html |title=Gareth Breese to coach Welsh Fire women's team in The Hundred |publisher=the Cricketer |date=27 July 2022 |access-date=27 July 2022}}
In March 2025, O'Leary was appointed as assistant coach at Glamorgan.{{cite web|url=https://glamorgancricket.com/news/mark-oleary-appointed-as-glamorgan-mens-assistant-coach |title=Mark O'Leary Appointed as Glamorgan Men's Assistant Coach |publisher=Glamorgan Cricket |date=11 March 2025 |access-date=11 March 2025}}
References
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{{Western Storm}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:OLeary, Mark}}