BEN RUTTEN has been sacked as Essendon coach.
The Bombers' board met on Sunday to make a call on Rutten's future after a week of turmoil at Tullamarine that saw new president Dave Barham make a late play for Alastair Clarkson while Rutten was still in charge.
It threw significant doubt on Rutten's position for 2023, despite being contracted for next season, but after Clarkson chose North Melbourne, Rutten said on Saturday night he wanted to remain as Bombers coach.
However, his short time at Essendon is over after the Bombers cut the second-year coach following their terrible campaign this year, which has seen them finish in the bottom four.
"Ben's commitment and care for this playing group was second to none, and we thank him for his dedication to what we recognise is an all-consuming role as senior coach," president David Barham said in a statement.
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"The unfortunate reality is, at various stages this season; we have simply been uncompetitive. And while we acknowledge that we have an emerging playing list, we were compelled to make the decision.
"Our members and supporters do, and should, expect better from a proud football club. We appreciate this has been a difficult chapter for our club. But as I said in my president's address pre-game yesterday, we will be a bold and courageous football club again. We need to return to being a successful football club.
"We will thoroughly and diligently consider our next steps and in due course, will communicate the process of our next senior coach appointment."
The Bombers will now undertake a search for their fifth full-time coach in 10 seasons, following James Hird, Mark Thompson, John Worsfold and Rutten.
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Rutten finished a 229-game career with Adelaide at the end of 2015 and stepped straight into a line-coaching role at Richmond, where he was a part of their 2017 premiership success.
He left the club at the end of 2018, joining Essendon as a senior assistant. At the end of 2019, the Bombers put in place a coaching succession plan where Rutten would take over from Worsfold at the end of 2020.
But 2020 turned into a disaster for the Bombers, who won only one of their last 10 games of the season as Joe Daniher, Adam Saad and Orazio Fantasia quit the club. An internal club review cited difficulties with the succession plan that season.
Rutten took full reins of the side last year, steering the Bombers to 11 wins and a surprise finals berth, but they were thrashed by the Western Bulldogs and lost their sixth elimination final since 2004.
The Bombers were not expecting internally to challenge for the premiership this season, but their lack of fight in numerous bad losses and inability to improve their defensive game have been major concerns.
Chief executive Xavier Campbell indicated the new coach would need to be in place ahead of the trade and draft periods, meaning the Bombers have a little more than a month to fill the role.
"We'd love to think that by the end of September, we're in a good position to have found the next coach of the Essendon Football Club," he said.
"Which positions them well enough to certainly have a positive impact on some critical industry timelines."
The Bombers have already been linked in the media to former mentor James Hird but Barham said he hadn't "sounded out" any options.
Barham added he is confident the club can juggle the recruitment process with an impending external review of their football department.
"We can do both things at the same time. We can effectively manage both processes at the same time," Barham said at a media conference on Sunday.
"So we need to get on with it because this is where we are. We also need to do a thorough review of the football club, so we can do both those things successfully at the same time.
"We think we're after a more experienced coach. We think a more experienced coach might be able to get more out of this list and we really want to give our list the best chance."
- with AAP