An offended Justin Langer was told he would not be given the chance to coach Australia into the next Test summer before he rejected a six-month deal and quit his post.
Langer told Cricket Australia bosses on Saturday morning he was resigning effective immediately, with no interest in taking up a short-term deal.
His resignation ended more than six months of speculation about his future, hurrying up what CA claimed was set to be a "transition period" for next summer.
Under an unanimously supported offer sorted in a seven-hour board meeting on Friday, Langer was told he could defend his Twenty20 World Cup crown in November but after then the job was no longer his.
CEO Nick Hockley also admitted that decision was in the interest of team unity, after years of talk around Langer's intense nature.
Andrew McDonald will take over the team on an interim basis for the Test tour of Pakistan, with the assistant the front-runner to claim the role on a full-time basis.
"We were pretty clear with Justin that it was for a period of transition," Hockley said.
"When we sat down and looked at the needs of the team going forward, we felt that the team had evolved and the requirements of the head coach had.
"We understand ... many people will be disappointed by the decision to only offer Justin a short-term contract.
"The decision to start a process of transition is what we believe is in the best interest of the men's team for unity and future success."
When asked if CA had genuinely expected any top-tier coach to accept a six-month extension, Hockley did not answer the question directly.
"JL's contract was always a four-year contract (originally)," Hockley said.
"We very much felt that Justin had the right to defend the T20 World Cup on home soil."
Hockley also defended his organisation's handling of the saga, which began when players had offered "confronting feedback" to Langer over his coaching style last June.
His future has then been headline news since August when Finch, Tim Paine and Pat Cummins met with Cricket Australia's hierarchy to raise further concerns.
The feeling was largely that while players like Langer the man, his hard-nosed approach had tired on them.
It prompted management to ask Langer to loosen his grip somewhat, with the coach taking a much more hands-off approach in the Twenty20 World Cup.
Senior players have continually shouldered arms on opportunities to endorse Langer long-term this summer, with Test captain Cummins refusing to as recently as Friday.
"We said we would review it after the Ashes and that is what we have done," Hockley said.
"Credit to absolutely everybody throughout the national teams set up for having some really robust and direct conversations.
"A feature of the last few campaigns is that everyone has stepped up, owned their space, been accountable and performed superbly."
Langer's exit comes after a summer where Australia won the T20 crown for the first time, dominated the Ashes 4-0 and went No.1 in the world for Test cricket.
He finishes with a 55.5 per cent win rate in Tests - second only to John Buchanan for Australia - and also helped retain the Ashes in England for the first time in 18 years in 2019.
His departure also angered several former teammates, after he came into the role in a time of crisis following the 2018 ball-tampering scandal.
Langer did not speak publicly on Saturday, but his manager James Henderson summed up his feelings.
"As a player Justin retired on top after a 5-0 Ashes whitewash," Henderson tweeted.
"Today, despite the views of a faceless few, he finishes his time as Australian cricket coach winning the T20 World Cup and the Ashes.
"Lest we forget what JL took over in 2018."
