Harlequins rugby director John Kingston will leave the English Premiership side at the end of the season, it was announced Monday.
London club Quins said Kingston, promoted from head coach to director of rugby in April 2016, would leave the Twickenham Stoop by “mutual agreement”.
Quins are currently ninth in the 12-team Premiership and suffered an embarrassing 35-5 loss at home to bottom club London Irish last weekend.
“It is with a very heavy heart that I will be leaving Harlequins at the end of this season,” said Kingston in a club statement.
“I have been at Harlequins for 17 years in differing roles and have grown to love the club almost as if it were part of my family.
“The obstacles this season have been well-documented, and no one has been more disappointed by our results than me.
“In my opinion, this is the strongest squad ever assembled in all my time at Harlequins, and this leaves the club in a sound position to go forward.
“Nothing would give me more pleasure than to see the squad achieve in the near future what I deeply believe it can – winning trophies.”
Quins have won just seven of their 19 league games so far this season and they made a pool-stage exit from the European Champions Cup, finishing last in a group that also included Wasps, Ulster and La Rochelle.
“This season has been hugely frustrating and disappointing for everyone at Harlequins, and for none more so than John,” said Harlequins’ chief executive, Dave Ellis.
“With considerable regret, we have agreed that John should step down as director of rugby.
“John has much to be proud of during his time at The Stoop, most notably when, while head coach, the team won the Aviva Premiership, the Amlin (European) Challenge Cup and the LV= (Anglo-Welsh) Cup, as well as reaching two Heineken (European) Cup quarter-finals.
“The club will not make any comment about the appointment of a new director of rugby until we are ready to do so. The process to recruit someone new who can take Harlequins to the very top of English and European rugby is in hand.”