The Championship has experienced its second managerial departure of the season just hours after the first, with Rotherham United confirming that Steve Evans has left the club.
The news comes shortly after the announcement that league rivals Brentford had sacked their manager, Marinus Dijkhuizen, and replaced him with former Everton midfielder Lee Carsley.
The news brings to an end a three-year association between Evans and the Millers, with the 52-year-old having overseen promotion from League One and a successful relegation battle in the second flight during his time with the club.
Assistant Manager Paul Raynor has also left the club with immediate effect.
Evans departs despite upturn in form
Rotherham had been fighting with relegation as expected once again this season, but Evans' departure will come as a surprise to some with the Millers climbing out of the drop zone in recent weeks with successive victories against Cardiff City and Birmingham City.
An official statement, released on the club's website on Monday, claimed that following a meeting with chairman Tony Stewart, it had become clear that in the short term at least, both parties wished to move in a "different direction".
However, there was acknowledgement of the valuable work which Evans had put in during his time with Rotherham, the statement noting that it had been "simply an incredible journey" during the pair's reign at the New York Stadium.
The statement also assured fans that the meeting had been carried out in a "positive, constructive and straightforward" manner.
Black takes charge for Burnley game
The search for a new manager will begin immediately, though former Aberdeen and Scotland forward Eric Black will take the reigns for the time being.
Rotherham will look to continue their recent resurgence in form this Friday evening, as they face a difficult home fixture with promotion-chasing Burnley in the first game of the Championship weekend.