Michael Duff sacked by Huddersfield as League One promotion bid falters - Iqraa news

Michael Duff has been sacked as the head coach of Huddersfield Town after the League One promotion hopefuls dropped out of the playoff places.

The club have appointed their academy manager, Jon Worthington, as interim head coach for the rest of the season. Duff had been in charge of the team for 10 months, having been appointed in May 2024 on a three-year deal after Huddersfield were relegated from the Championship.

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Duff’s departure comes after Huddersfield’s 1-0 defeat at Bristol Rovers on Saturday. The Terriers’ fourth defeat in their last five league games leaves them two points outside the top six as they seek an immediate return to the Championship. The club were also knocked out of the FA Cup by non-league Tamworth in the first round.

The Huddersfield owner and chairman, Kevin Nagle, told the club website: “This is not a decision that I have taken lightly. I really like Michael as a person and I know how diligently he has worked for the club since he was appointed as head coach in the summer, so we’ve all been desperate for him to succeed. However, our results on the pitch since the turn of the year have simply not been good enough.

“It is true that we’ve had an unprecedented injury situation to contend with, particularly recently, but I believe that the resources we have available are capable of more than the four wins we’ve registered in our last 15 games. I feel we must make this change now to reignite our challenge for promotion. I want to thank Michael, and I wish him all the best for the future.”

Worthington, who captained Huddersfield during his playing career, had previously taken temporary charge of the team between January and February 2024. His first game at the helm comes against relegation-threatened Crawley on Saturday.

The 41-year-old, who made 237 senior appearances for the team, told the club website: “Huddersfield is my club and I’m honoured to be coaching the first team between now and the end of the season. We have 10 important matches to come with plenty of points remaining to play for and every possibility still open to us.

“As it is each day, my full focus and energy will be spent doing whatever I possibly can to help our club be the best version of itself. In that time, my goal is to repay the faith and trust that Kevin Nagle, [CEO] Jake Edwards and [sporting director] Mark Cartwright have shown in me and give Town supporters pride in their team and club. See you all at the John Smith’s Stadium on Saturday afternoon.”

Duff, a former Northern Ireland international, began his managerial career with Cheltenham before joining Barnsley in 2022. After leading the Tykes to the League One playoff final, where they lost to Sheffield Wednesday, Duff took over at Swansea in June 2023, but was dismissed by the Championship side after just five months.