Dean Pay has coached his last game for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs with the club announcing his resignation.
It is believed Pay was informed by the board that his contract would not be renewed for next season and he made the call to depart as soon as possible, to give the club some certainty as it looks to recruit players before the 2021 season.
Bulldogs CEO Andrew Hill confirmed Pay's exit.
"Both parties agreed that it was in the best interests of the individual and the club to part ways," Hill said.
"These decisions are always tough, particularly when they involve someone who has been part of the Bulldogs family for a long time.
"The fact is though that the club and Dean have decided that we need to move in a different direction to take the team forward and Dean was in agreement that now was the right time for both parties to part ways.
"We did not rush this decision and have taken our time to look at what was best for the club in regard to success moving forward."
Pay has been under fire for his side's poor results, winning just one of nine games this season. Their efforts against a terribly out of form Broncos side on the weekend were believed to be the final straw. Pay's winning record since taking over from Des Hasler in 2018 is a miserable 32 percent.
There are a few options available as a replacement, with initial reports suggesting the club has been speaking to Penrith assistant Trent Barrett. Assistant coach Steve Georgallis will take over as an interim solution, as the club prepares to face the Dragons, ironically the only team they have beaten in 2020.