Perth Glory are on the lookout for a new A-League Women coach after Alex Epakis stepped down from the role for "personal reasons" despite having one more year to run on his contract.
Epakis is the longest-serving coach in the Glory's ALW history, having overseen 66 games across the past four seasons.
Perth started last season with four consecutive wins to shoot into early title contention, but they faded badly in the second half of the campaign to finish 10th.
After beating Central Coast 2-1 on December 31, the Glory went winless across their final 12 games of the season, posting eight losses and four draws across that horror patch.
Epakis was appointed coach in late 2020, coinciding with the toughest chapter in the team's history.
Ravaged by COVID restrictions and border issues, Perth fielded a hastily-assembled and youth-laden squad that went on to post 11 losses and a draw from the 12-game season.
Epakis led a remarkable recovery the following season, with the club only missing out on a finals berth on goal difference.
They again fell short of a finals berth by a single point in 2022/23, but their horror fadeout this season came as a huge shock.
Epakis, who was contracted for one more campaign, will leave his role at the end of July.
"Despite the strategy and plans collectively put in place for next season by myself, football director Stan Lazaridis and chief executive Anthony Radich, I have made the difficult decision to step down from my position due to personal reasons," the 33-year-old said in a statement.
"To the best of my ability, I was unwavering in my attempt to lead the squad, achieve on-field competitiveness and foster a strong team identity during a period of great uncertainty for the club. "I'm extremely grateful to the playing group for the respect and belief they've shown me across my tenure and I wish them all the absolute best."
Meanwhile, Canberra United have appointed Antoni Jagarinec as their new head coach for the 2024/25 campaign.
Previously an assistant at Canberra between 2015-17, Jagarinec takes over from Njegosh Popovic, who departed at the end of last season after 40 matches in charge.
Canberra finished 11th out of 12 teams last season, just one year after missing a finals berth on goal difference.
