Cardiff Blues director of rugby Phil Davies has resigned from his position at Arms Park after a recent run of poor results.
Blues lost against Italian side Zebre at the weekend, their second loss to the Parma side this season, and lie 10th in the Pro12 table.
With just one win from their last eight games Davies said he decided the time was right to step down with immediate effect.
“This is a decision that I’ve not taken lightly, but one that I’ve made in view of my future career and my past experiences in professional rugby,” he said.
“I feel this is the right time for me to look to the next challenge and other opportunities in performance development.”
Blues chief executive Richard Holland thanked Davies for his time in charge, and will now be on the lookout for a replacement.
He said: “Throughout his time at the region Phil has worked passionately to develop the right infrastructure here and a pathway for aspiring players and coaches.
“He has overseen a period of massive change and I’m sure in the future we will see the benefits of his work.”
Davies, who took over at Arms Park in May 2012, has a win rate of just 34 per cent.
He led the Blues to a ninth-place finish in the Pro12 in his first season but saw them knocked out in the group-stages of the Heineken Cup.
This season they finished second in their Heineken Cup group but again missed out on an Amlin Challenge Cup spot after a disappointing defeat against Exeter Chiefs in their last group-stage game.
And the LV=Cup has not produced much joy either, with just two wins from four games so far.
Defence coach Dale McIntosh and backs coach Paul John will take charge until the end of the season.
Blues current position is made worse by continuing speculation that a new 20-team European competition will be created next season.
Their current league position would give them no chance of qualifying and would be the first time they have missed out on the top tier of European competition since their dispute with the Welsh Rugby Union in the 1998-99 season.
