Plymouth Argyle director of football Neil Dewsnip is set to leave his role at the club following head coach Wayne Rooney’s exit.
The 63-year-old’s departure ends his five-year spell at Plymouth, having been appointed in 2019 after initially joining the club as a technical consultant.
It leaves Plymouth looking for both a new head coach and someone to lead up their footballing operations, whether in a similar position to Dewsnip or as a sporting director.
Rooney’s dismissal was announced on Tuesday, following just four wins in 23 Championship games in charge.
The Athletic reported Dewsnip was likely to come under scrutiny in the wake of Rooney’s sacking — ultimately a second successive failed appointment — with the club bottom of the Championship.
Dewsnip already had a relationship with Rooney before his appointment as head coach in the summer, having spent 17 years as the head of Everton’s academy.
During Dewsnip’s five years at Plymouth, the club has risen from League Two to the Championship, securing promotions in 2019-20 and 2022-23, first under Ryan Lowe, then his successor Steven Schumacher, who was promoted from his position as No 2. He was also integral in improving the club’s academy setup.
Schumacher oversaw Plymouth’s promotion to the second tier, but he left to join Stoke City in December 2023. His replacement Ian Foster was sacked after less than three months in charge.
Dewsnip took caretaker charge of the team following both Schumacher’s departure and Foster’s dismissal.
Before joining Plymouth, Dewsnip held coaching roles in the England youth setup, and in 2021 he was part of Bev Priestman’s backroom staff during Canada’s Olympic gold medal-winning campaign in Tokyo.
Plymouth drew 2-2 at home to Bristol City on Wednesday, with interim coach Kevin Nancekivell and captain Joe Edwards in the dugout. They host Stoke on Saturday.
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