Brighton have parted company with head coach Melissa Phillips.
The 36-year-old had been in charge for 10 months and her final game was Saturday’s 3-0 loss to Women’s Super League (WSL) leaders Chelsea which left Brighton 10th in the WSL, six points above the relegation zone.
The club cited results and performances not reflecting the level of investment as the reason for Phillips’ departure.
“This is not a decision which has been taken lightly, but we feel it is vital for the progress we want to see in the Women’s Super League,” Brighton’s technical director David Weir said.
“We have invested heavily in the women’s squad and infrastructure going into this season, and results and performances have not been at the level we had expected, given that investment.”
Academy coach Mikey Harris will take interim charge for the “foreseeable future”.
Harris will be the fifth person to take charge of Brighton over the course of the last two seasons.
Following Hope Powell’s departure in October 2022, Amy Merricks was placed in temporary charge before Jens Scheuer’s appointment in December. Scheuer was dismissed in March 2023 and subsequently replaced by Phillips.
Phillips, the former head coach at London City Lionesses, had left her role as Angel City assistant coach to take the Brighton post.
She is the first manager to be dismissed in the WSL this season.
(Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
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