 His opening season with the team proved to be a trying one, with the county failing to pick up a single point from five games on their way to relegation from Division 1B of the National Hurling League.They opened up their Leinster campaign with a win over Carlow before falling to Dublin by twenty-two points and then suffering a twenty-five-point deficit against Limerick in the All-Ireland qualifiers.McCarthy tendered his resignation as manager of the Laois hurling team after just one season in charge, citing work commitments.