Forest Green Rovers have placed head of academy Hannah Dingley in caretaker charge of the men's senior team following the departure of Duncan Ferguson.
Ferguson was appointed in January but he was unable to keep them in League One, with Rovers winning just six of their 46 games.
Rovers have now moved to install Dingley in interim charge, making her the first woman to lead a men’s professional senior team in England.
Dingley joined the Gloucestershire club in 2019 to take charge of the academy and remains the only woman to manage a club academy in the English men's league soccer. She also launched a girls' academy in 2021.
The 39-year-old holds a Uefa Pro Licence and previously coached women's teams at Nottingham Forest, Leicester City and Lincoln and was head of coaching at League One side Burton Albion's academy before joining Forest Green four years ago.
"Hannah was the natural choice," club chairman Dale Vince said. "She's done a fantastic job leading our academy and is well aligned with the values of the club.
"It's perhaps telling for the men's game that in making this appointment on merit, we'll break new ground."
Dingley said: “I’m really excited for this next step of my career. Pre-season has just begun and the full season kicks off very soon. It’s an exciting time in football. I am grateful for the opportunity to step up and lead such a progressive and forward-thinking club.”
Notes to editor
The image was taken from the Forest Green Rover's website.
