Gary Gold's tenure at the helm of Bath Rugby came to a premature conclusion yesterday when the South African departed the club 18 months into a three-year contract.
In truth, Gold has not really been in charge of team affairs at The Rec since June when a restructure of the club's coaching staff by owner Bruce Craig saw the former Springboks assistant boss' title rebranded from head coach to director of rugby.
Mike Ford took on responsibilities for the day-to-day running of the first-team, with Gold's remit instead refocused to overseeing recruitment and wage-cap management, as well as the medical and strength and conditioning departments and the Academy.
The transition of power was handled strangely by Bath and must have been difficult for Gold to accept. A coach's natural habitat is on the training field, something which he has seen significantly reduced in his new role.
No official statement on the restructure was released by the club to the media or supporters, and Gold was unhappy when the story went public in the Chronicle.
Gold's position has seemed increasingly condensed at The Rec in recent months and the only thing truly surprising about his departure is its timing. Bath have made a flying start to the season, with 12 wins from 14 matches in all competitions, and could be on the cusp on something special this year.
Here we take a full look at Gold's 18 months at Bath
The 46-year-old caught the eye of Bath chairman Craig in his brave attempt to keep Newcastle Falcons in the Aviva Premiership in the 2011-12 season. Gold's four-month stint at Kingston Park saw an upturn in Falcons' fortunes but their attempts to stave off relegation fell short by a single point.
Still, Craig was convinced enough that Gold was the man to revive a flagging Bath's fortunes and he was appointed to lead a new-look coaching staff following the departure of Sir Ian McGeechan.
Gold's Falcons assistant Ford, a former England defence chief, also arrived, as did London Irish duo Toby Booth and Neal Hatley to work alongside established Bath coach Brad Davis.
The initial signs were positive and a clean sweep of pre-season wins was followed by successes at Worcester Warriors and at home to Wasps in the first two rounds of the Premiership.
The opening-day victory at Sixways, however, was Bath's only away win in the league all season and the team's style of play, particularly their over-eagerness to kick the ball, was frustrating during a stop-start campaign.
December provided the first real test of Gold's leadership as Davis began to weigh up his future at Bath after being a mainstay of the club's coaching team for more than six years. Davis was absent from training and on match days and his departure was finally confirmed by the club in February.
On the field, Bath's mixed fortunes continued. They were found wanting in the knockout rounds of both the LV= and Amlin cups, losing at Harlequins and at home to Stade Francais, and the target of a top-six Premiership finish was one place too ambitious.
A memorable home win over Leicester Tigers in the penultimate round of fixtures provided brief hope of a return to the Heineken Cup but that was ultimately dashed with defeat at Saracens on the final day.
In the end of season review, Gold was moved upstairs in a coaching restructure as Ford took over on the training pitch and in terms of team selection.
After announcing a series of signings in early 2013, as many as ten new faces headed to The Rec for the new season. The last – Gavin Henson – provided the biggest talking point.
Many were surprised to see the Wales international given another shot at a big club in June following a series of off-the-field misdemeanours. Less than a month into a one-year contract, Henson was knocked out by Carl Fearns in a city centre pub after a team night out and both were subsequently disciplined by the club.
There have been more troublesome incidents this season. Despite the club's initial denials, Tom Biggs has opted to cross codes to join Super League side Hull, while Kyle Eastmond's walk-out at Sale Sharks led to the England centre being disciplined by the club.
On the pitch, however, things could not be better. Weather permitting, the new attack-minded impetus suggests Bath certain to challenge for a place in the Premiership's top four.
If it is by results that Gary Gold will be judged at Bath then he can leave with his head held high. By title, Gold has remained Bath's figurehead and these last few months have been the most fruitful for the club in recent memory.
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