SUNDERLAND have confirmed the departure of Mike Dodds, with the former assistant head coach having been appointed as the new boss of League One side Wycombe Wanderers.
Dodds will complete his move to Adams Park next week, with his final involvement with Sunderland coming as part of the coaching team for tomorrow's Tees-Wear derby with Middlesbrough at the Riverside.
He will replace former Wycombe boss Matt Bloomfield, who took over as the new boss of Luton Town in the middle of last month.
He inherits a Wycombe side currently sitting in second position in the League One table as they push for automatic promotion to the Championship in the second half of the campaign.
Wycombe made a formal approach for Dodds last week, and while Regis Le Bris values the 38-year-old's input and has enjoyed working with the former interim boss, he does not want to stand in his way as he looks to pursue his own coaching career.
Sunderland sporting director, Kristjaan Speakman also did not want to prevent Dodds from joining Wycombe despite rating his coaching capabilities extremely highly.
Speakman said: "Although it’s disappointing to lose such a valuable member of staff, this is an incredible opportunity for Mike to take the next step in his career.
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"He’s fulfilled several roles during his time with us to support the pursuit of our ambitions and he has always done so with great professionalism.
"We would not have made the progress we have over the last four years without his contribution.
"On a personal note, I’ve worked with Mike for over a decade, and I’m delighted that his dedication to his craft has culminated in this opportunity. Everyone at Sunderland AFC wishes him the best of luck at Wycombe Wanderers.”
Dodds started his coaching career in the youth ranks at Coventry City and joined Birmingham City’s academy set-up in 2009.
He initially joined Sunderland as the head of player development in the summer of 2021, and stood in as caretaker boss after the departures of both Lee Johnson and Tony Mowbray.
His longest stint in interim charge came in the second half of last season, when he took charge of first-team affairs following the dismissal of Michael Beale.
Dodds was unable to prevent Sunderland sliding down the table in the latter stages of last term, but was retained as part of the senior coaching set-up under Le Bris.
Dodds said: "After four incredible seasons, my time at Sunderland AFC has come to an end.
"I would like to thank Kyril (Louis-Dreyfus) and Kristjaan for their trust and support and I depart with a deep respect for their leadership and vision for the club’s future.
"I’ve had the honour of working alongside some incredible people, including Alex Neil and Tony Mowbray, who were both fantastic mentors.
"Equally, the club is in a strong place and I have no doubts that Regis will lead it to even greater successes alongside an incredible group of players, whose unwavering professionalism and desire to improve meant every day was a privilege.
"Finally, I must express my gratitude to the club’s fans for their passion and support, which is truly unmatched. It’s never easy to say goodbye, but I leave Sunderland with a full heart and great anticipation for what lies ahead. Thank you for making Wearside feel like home.”
It remains to be seen whether Dodds will be replaced. Sunderland moved to strengthen their senior coaching ranks earlier this season, appointing Pedro Ribeiro to an assistant head coach role alongside Dodds. Michael Proctor and goalkeeping coach Alessandro Barcherini currently complete the Black Cats’ senior coaching group.
