Since their last triumph, Mayo have fallen short in the All-Ireland final 10 times.
Of those 10 occasions, James Horan has been involved in five. Twice as a player (1996 and 1997) and three as a manager (2012, 2013 and 2020). Could the sixth time prove to be a charm?
Horan switched the side-line for the Sky Sports studio for three seasons, following his resignation as Mayo manager in 2014.
And working alongside his then-fellow pundit, Peter Canavan saw first-hand the passion Horan holds for Mayo football.
"He's one cool customer," Canavan said on Inside The Game.
"It was interesting working with him, during those couple of years and watching him speak about Mayo. Even though he wasn't directly involved, he was extremely passionate and he was hurt about the fact that them boys weren't getting over the line. Bear in mind, he invested so many of his years and he got them close to an All-Ireland.
"It was no surprise at all that he went back to them [in late 2018]. As far as he was concerned, there was unfinished business there. The most interesting thing about when he did take over again, and why I felt at the time why he wouldn't be successful, was I didn't see the new talent that was there, that was going to get him over the line. And I felt he was going to persist with the players that he had brought up himself and had worked very closely with.
"But he hasn't done that. He brought in new players, Ryan O'Donoghue, Oisin Mullin, Matthew Ruane, Padraig O'Hora, these are the players now that are driving Mayo on.
"The fact that they got there without Cillian [O'Connor], the fact he subbed off his captain, all the more remarkable. And for a man who has lost three All-Irelands as a manager, two as a player, he's hungry for it. And I think if they did get over the line, nobody would begrudge James Horan the title as an All-Ireland winning manager."
Donaghy: He wants that medal
"He's a fantastic manager," said Kieran Donaghy.
"He was really good in his first stint, and then he got in beside Peter Canavan in the [Sky] studio for his three years in the middle and he learned even more!
"He's come back reinvigorated with new ideas. The ultimate call he's had in his career was taking Aidan O'Shea off in the big semi-final against Dublin when they were really struggling in the game. It was a do-or-die moment for him, and the team rallied late on to get that win.
"Both stints are quite similar. They started with a bedding-in period in his first year. 2011 was his first stint, and then he was in the final in 2012 and 2013. He took over this time in 2018, was doing a bit of bedding-in, moving some players on and bringing in some fresh talent. He's back now, in the final last year and again this year."
But Horan will have no interest in second place.
"[He has] a great record of getting to finals. But that's not the currency he's looking for. He's looking to win All-Irelands. And he wants that medal. He wants to be in charge of that Mayo team that finally ends the 70-year wait," Donaghy continued.
"Wouldn't it be a lovely cap on what has been a lovely seven years in charge of these Mayo teams. His win percentage has been higher than any other manager they have had, 61 per cent. So he has been great for Mayo football. And wouldn't it be good to see him cap it off with an All-Ireland on Saturday evening."
Moran: He fills the players with confidence
Andy Moran served under Horan in both of his stints, and the 2017 Footballer of the Year knows the regard in which he is held.
"It didn't go our way in 2018 but we probably had our best performance of all-time in the 2017 final. So, he was taking a team that was probably going to move into a transition but still with Lee Keegans, Keith Higgins and David Clarke were still there. Aidan O'Shea and Cillian O'Connor, still probably at the peak of their powers, those guys. So, I think this time is a bit different," Moran outlined this week.
"He has taken [the nonsense] out of Mayo football. If you want to be there, you'll do the work, we'll play to a system and we'll see where it takes us. He's a very straight-shooter.
"He likes working with young men, who can run, who can play to the demands of Croke Park. And he fills them with confidence. That's his biggest strength.
"And when Mayo enter the pitch on Saturday evening, they'll have no doubt they can win that game. He'll have told them all they can win that game and it's up to them to go out and do it. They'll feel like they're on top of the world. That's his biggest strength. Just his ability to go into a dressing room and make everything else believe."
When James Horan returned to the post of Mayo manager in 2018, he said he was coming back to win the Sam Maguire Cup. On Saturday evening, he could complete that rocky ascent to the summit.
Watch Mayo vs Tyrone in the All-Ireland SFC final live on Sky Sports Arena from 4pm Saturday.