Former Jamaican international and ex-Huddersfield Town head coach, Darren Moore, has been relieved of his duties by the club as they currently sit just three points clear of the relegation zone in the English Championship.
The Birmingham-born former defender, who represented the Reggae Boyz twice in 1999, departs the West Yorkshire team after a challenging tenure that yielded only three league victories out of 23 games since he took charge last September.
The decision to part ways with Moore followed a six-match winless streak, culminating in a 1-1 draw against struggling Queens Park Rangers over the weekend. This was a missed opportunity for the 49-year-old, as a stoppage-time equalizer denied him a much-needed victory.
Moore, a former manager for West Bromwich Albion and Sheffield Wednesday, along with his backroom staff, is departing after four months during which his team struggled to find consistency.
Took over at Huddersfield Town following veteran Neil Warnock’s tenure
After guiding Sheffield Wednesday to promotion to the Championship via the play-offs, Moore took over at Huddersfield Town following veteran Neil Warnock’s tenure.
Huddersfield Town had successfully avoided relegation from the Championship, while Moore had orchestrated a spirited 1-0 victory over Barnsley Town in extra time during their League One play-off final at Wembley Stadium.
Despite these early successes, Moore’s stint at Wednesday ended by mutual consent after two years at the helm. His appointment at Huddersfield was regarded as a gamble that has ultimately not paid off.
Huddersfield Town AFC’s official statement read: “Darren Moore has been relieved of his duties as Huddersfield Town manager. This decision was taken after our Sky Bet Championship draw at Queens Park Rangers on Sunday, which took Moore’s record as Town manager to three wins, 11 draws, and nine defeats in all competitions.”
Managerial career at West Bromwich Albion in 2018
Moore began his managerial career at West Bromwich Albion in 2018, becoming only the second top-tier manager from the CONCACAF region, following American Bob Bradley who managed Swansea City in 2016.
Surprisingly, Moore left West Brom in 2019 with 10 games remaining in the Championship season despite being in contention for automatic promotion from fourth place.
He subsequently joined League One side Doncaster Rovers a few months later and was then headhunted by Sheffield Wednesday in March 2021. Despite achieving success at Wednesday, Moore left the club in June due to contract renewal negotiations with chairman Dejphon Chansiri.
While Moore’s managerial journey may have hit a bump, his proven ability to transform teams outside the top tier makes it likely that he will be in demand again in British football soon.