DARRELL Clarke has been relieved of his duties as the Barnsley FC head coach.

Clarke was appointed in May 2024, overseeing 44 games in charge of the Reds.

Barnsley are currently tenth in League One, eight points outside the play-off places with just ten games remaining.

Chairman Neerav Parekh said: “We would like to thank Darrell for his efforts in a season which has been difficult for various reasons.

“Darrell has worked extremely hard to try and get the team competitive and pushing for promotion, unfortunately, we find ourselves eight points away from the play-offs and feel that a change is needed.”

Conor Hourihane will take charge of the first team until the end of the season.

He will be assisted by Jon Stead and Martin Devaney alongside Tom Harban, who will step up from the under 21s setup.

Mladen Sormaz, sporting director, added: “Darrell is someone I respect and have enjoyed working with and I’d like to thank him for his efforts this season.

“Whilst a list of replacements has been identified, we will take some time to ensure the next appointment is the right one with a focus on playing identity, returning to high pressing and attacking football.

“We believe that Conor can help to create enough bounce to keep us fighting for the top six until the end of the season.

“We will also be working in parallel to have a new head coach in place over the summer.”