Dean Solomon withdraws from Essendon senior coach race

Essendon interim coach Dean Solomon has officially pulled out of the race to become the club's next senior coach, the Bombers confirmed.

Solomon, 46, had been in charge since Brad Scott was sacked at the end of May. His decision to remove himself from the process leaves four candidates in the running: Fremantle assistant Jaymie Graham, Adelaide coaching director Murray Davis, Sydney assistant Mark McVeigh, and club great James Hird.

Solomon's decision

In a letter to members, CEO Tim Roberts said: "In recent days, Dean Solomon informed me that he would not seek to be considered for the senior coaching position. This was Solly's decision and one that he has considered deeply over recent times."

Roberts praised Solomon's selflessness, saying: "Anyone who knows Solly knows he has always put the Essendon Football Club before himself, and this decision reflects the same selflessness and integrity that has defined his contribution throughout his time at the club."

He added: "On behalf of everyone at Essendon, I want to sincerely thank Solly for his leadership, professionalism and unwavering commitment in this role during a challenging period. He has served this club with distinction as our head coach and has made a lasting impact on the players and staff."

Next steps in the process

Essendon said at the beginning of the process that it would bring subject matter experts in for specific steps. The next stage of interviews will involve specific people connected to the coaching world, external to the club.

The Bombers are conducting a layered process and will dive deeper into each candidate's skills and philosophies in the next fortnight. Candidates will be asked to present at least once.

Candidates impress

It's understood Davis, currently at the Crows, impressed the panel in his initial 45-minute chat. All candidates were asked general questions around their readiness to coach, their philosophies on coaching, coaching the club as a whole, their leadership styles, and how they handle pressure.

Graham is also in the mix for the Carlton job, alongside Corey Enright and James Kelly, who chose to prioritise the Blues job ahead of the Bombers vacancy.