In recent years, the typical inter-county manager has undergone a staggering process of evolution. Once characterised as a benign, cloth-capped, patriarchal figure with not a lot to say for himself, the manager underwent a drastic transformation in the 1990s.

Suddenly, it seemed that the "younger man" was in vogue with, as the great line goes, "an array of coloured pencils in his breast pocket". This younger man would generally fashion his team as the physical embodiment of his very soul and would smile cordially at the rumours of his futuristic training regime.

On sunny days, he might wear shorts on the sideline, or a floppy hat. His relationship with the media would be marked by a Hollywood tempestuousness.

More often than not, he would enjoy stunning success during his first hours in charge and become the most popular personality in the history of his particular county. He would find himself tentatively courted by local branches of various political parties. But mostly, he would train his teams.

In many respects, Offaly manager Pauric Nolan is a perfect representative of the new breed - but with one glaring exception. Before he calmly marched into Croke Park to plot the downfall of Meath, no one really knew him.

After Tommy Lyons left Offaly, the country waited for the county board to draft in some superstar name. Instead, the public was momentarily puzzled when the name of Pauric Nolan was forwarded. Offaly were then left to their own devices. Until, that is, the county pretty much re-invented the 2000 All-Ireland Championship by felling mighty Meath. Next morning, everyone wondered who exactly to thank.

Nolan's coaching record is solid if not flashy. A native of Belgard, outside Kilcock, Co Kildare, Nolan was a keen, wiry athlete and a versatile club footballer. He cut his teeth with the local club as a youngster and from a young age demonstrated an interest in coaching and in fitness.

He remains a member of the club, and his father, PJ, is vice-president. A Sigerson player in the mid-1980s with UCD, he went on to teach at St Patrick's of Navan and, along with Meath's Colm O'Rourke, oversaw the wonderful football academy there. He also took charge of Tommy Dowd's club Dunderry, at the same time maintaining his commitment to Kilcock.

He played with Kildare, albeit briefly, but on one of the more forgettable days for the Lilywhites. The occasion was an O'Byrne Cup game against Kilkenny. Kildare lost. "Unfortunately I scored a point that day, so there was no denying I played. I got a lot of phone calls that day," he later admitted.

Although the choice of Nolan to succeed Lyons caused a fair amount of surprise around Offaly, it is thought that those who take charge of Offaly football affairs had long been aware of the Kildare man's potential.

There has been speculation that Nolan, now just 35, had actually been in contention for the post which eventually went to Lyons. And the recent appointment is in keeping with Offaly's tradition of opting for low-key personalities with solid club records.

They have rarely sought glamour figures. While his orchestration of Offaly's league campaign illustrated some early potential, there was a feeling that the overall fitness of the squad had dwindled a little since Lyons's time. But Nolan is known to have a keen interest in physical fitness and while there was a suggestion that his team had suffered for the want of it in the league play-off against Louth, they showed no such ill-effects against Meath. Offaly's ability to sustain an intensely draining approach that limited the All-Ireland champions was their ace card.

Offaly have long been regarded as one county who carry no psychological baggage about Meath; they just aren't scared of their neighbours. Nolan is well tuned into the Meath psyche and knew many of the players well, pinpointing and pressurising the key elements of Sean Boylan's side.

Initial euphoria was tempered by Nolan's own reminder that while scalping Meath was a fine achievement, Offaly still had a long road to travel before they would meet with any success. He was impressively restrained during his post-match interviews, the thrust of which wondered how he had raised a team from the dead.

But while the wider perception was that Lyons had squeezed everything worthwhile from this Offaly squad, the feeling in the heartland is different. Although the Offaly star seemed to wane after '97, many Offaly followers felt that Lyons's successor would inherit the bones of a good and still developing squad. The win against Meath appears to bear that out.

Nolan was understandably keen to avoid the spotlight this week, facing into a huge game against his home county. Yet, while he would be well known among Kildare footballers, he has, thus far, been far from instantly recognisable in his home county. Of course, that could all well change after tomorrow.