Barnsley are searching for their ninth manager or head coach in a decade after Daniel Stendel’s history-making spell at Oakwell ended this week.
The 45-year-old German’s exit was announced on Tuesday morning, with under 18s coach Adam Murray being placed in caretaker charge of the team. The Chronicle understands that Stendel was open to staying at the club, but was relieved of his duties with some key factors being the board’s concern at the ten-game winless run, including a 5-1 defeat in Preston on Saturday, and an ongoing disagreement over recruitment.
The board are looking at several possible contenders, with a third successive overseas head coach after Stendel and Jose Morais a strong possibility.
Former Huddersfield Town boss Jan Siewert, who watched the Reds’ draw with Derby County last week along with several other managers, and ex-Hamburg and Stuttgart boss Hannes Wolf have both featured in betting odds this week. As has Stendel’s former Hannover 96 team-mate and USA international Steve Cherundolo, who is an associate of Barnsley investor Billy Beane.
Stendel, who is due to return to Germany this weekend, has been linked with a move to League One Sunderland who sacked manager Jack Ross on the same day the German left Barnsley.
Murray is taking training during the two-week international break which ends on October 19 when the Reds host Swansea City. Coaches Chris Stern, who moved from Germany to Barnsley with Stendel last summer, and Dale Tonge, the former Barnsley player, both worked with Stendel as part of his first team staff, along with Murray, and both remain at the club.
Stendel was in charge at Oakwell for 489 days, winning 31 of his 66 matches in all competitions with 18 draws and 17 defeats. Having led Barnsley to promotion from League One in his first campaign, with a club record points tally and no home league defeats, his side picked up six points from their first 11 Championship matches this season.
Three points from ten games since the opening day of the season has left the second-bottom Reds two points adrift of safety and one above last-placed Stoke.
Stendel was the seventh longest-serving manager in the Championship while his departure means that no Barnsley head coach or manager has completed two successive seasons since Simon Davey in 2007/08 and 2008/09.
Stendel wrote on Facebook on Tuesday: “Thanks for all the support that I’m getting. I really appreciate that and am thankful for the time in Barnsley.”
