Huddersfield Town have confirmed they have parted company with head coach Danny Cowley and assistant Nicky Cowley.
The Terriers secured an impressive 2-1 victory over West Brom on Friday night which has all but sealed their Championship status for next season, but this was not enough to keep Cowley in a job as the club's hierarchy have dismissed him ahead of their final match of the season on Wednesday.
Cowley left his role at Lincoln City in order to join Huddersfield in September, with the Yorkshire outfit having turned to the 41-year-old following their dismal start to the season under Jan Siewert after the club's relegation from the Premier League.
Huddersfield went on to win 13 of their 38 matches following the Cowley brothers' arrival at the John Smith's Stadium, but it now appears the club is keen on pursuing other managerial possibilities as they start looking ahead to another season in the second tier.
Speaking to the club website, Huddersfield chairman Phil Hodgkinson thanked Cowley for his service to Huddersfield during his 10 months in charge, with Hodgkinson owing the dismissal to a lack of shared values and vision for the club moving forward.
“I would like to place my thanks on record to Danny and Nicky for their hard work and dedication towards securing the Club’s place in the Sky Bet Championship for next season. That was the clear priority when they were appointed in September and we are very grateful that has been achieved," Hodgkinson said.
“We all wish Danny and Nicky all the best for the future and they leave with my best wishes in their future endeavours.
“However, we have made this decision in the belief that, in the long term, it is in the best interests of the Club as we move forward. We have a different vision for the way we operate the Club, and how our ambitions can be achieved.”
There have been no further details regarding who will take charge of Huddersfield during their last match of the season against Millwall, with Cowley having now officially departed the club with immediate effect.
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The Verdict
This is a very surprising decision from Huddersfield given Cowley's efforts in keeping the club afloat in the Championship this term, and particularly given he had only just led his side to a fantastic 2-1 victory over second-placed West Brom on Friday night.
Huddersfield fans would have been expecting their side to try and kick on under Cowley's leadership next season, but it appears there have been issues under the surface at the John Smith's Stadium as a result of the club holding a different vision to Cowley.
Cowley has performed a fine job by keeping the Terriers up following their horrendous start to the season, and this seems like an extremely short-sighted decision from the Huddersfield hierarchy with the club now appearing to enter a summer of uncertainty.