Former Celtic and Scotland captain Scott Brown has officially departed his role as manager of Ayr United by mutual consent, following a disappointing stretch of results for the Scottish Championship side.
The 40-year-old manager leaves Somerset Park alongside his assistant, former Rangers and Scotland defender Steven Whittaker. Their departure comes on the heels of a dismal nine-game winless streak, culminating in a heavy 3-0 defeat at the hands of Raith Rovers on Friday.
That recent loss proved costly, as Raith Rovers leapfrogged Ayr in the standings. The Honest Men have now tumbled to sixth place in Scotland's second tier, slipping out of the vital promotion play-off positions. They currently sit five points adrift of fourth-placed Dunfermline Athletic, who still hold a game in hand.
Brown's tenure at Ayr began with promise in January 2024. He successfully steered the club away from the relegation zone and secured an impressive third-place finish during his first full campaign. However, that positive momentum has drastically unraveled in recent weeks.
Before his time at Somerset Park, the decorated midfielder—who boasts 55 international caps and 22 major trophies from his playing days at Celtic—began his coaching journey as a player-coach at Aberdeen. He later took the reins at Fleetwood Town in League One, where he managed a 13th-place finish in his debut season before being dismissed early in his second year.
In the wake of the managerial shakeup, veteran winger Jamie Murphy, first-team coach Tommy Tait, and goalkeeping coach Dave Timmins have temporarily taken charge of first-team training. Ayr United is expected to make a formal announcement regarding a dedicated interim manager in the near future.