Leeds head coach Neil Back has quit in the aftermath of the club's relegation from the Aviva Premiership.
Head coach steps down following relegation
Leeds head coach Neil Back has quit in the aftermath of the club's relegation from the Aviva Premiership.
Although the club could still be spared Championship rugby next season - should the Cornish Pirates topple Worcester in the two-legged play-off final -
the Leeds board have already announced they are planning for the worst.
And having failed to keep Leeds in the top-flight, Back has decided the time is right to walk away.
The 42-year-old told the club's official site: "The experiences over the last three years have been incredible in terms of my personal and coaching development.
"I am very passionate about what I do and I have thrived on the challenge over the past three years, however taking all things into account, I feel I have taken Leeds as far as I can.
"I am very proud of what Leeds Carnegie has achieved over the last three years against the odds and I wish Leeds all the success for the future."
Carnegie finished bottom of the standings despite almost completing the great escape in the final round of fixtures.
Disappointment
However a bonus point from their 31-24 defeat to Northampton wasn't enough to see them move above Newcastle - with an inferior points' difference condemning them to the drop.
Back was initially non-committal about his future in the aftermath of the defeat, with the former England flanker initially set for meeting with the board on Wednesday.
However Back told Leeds chief executive Gary Hetherington on Monday night of his decision to now step down.
Hetherington said: "Having met with Neil, he has informed me of his intention to move on at the end of the season to enable him to look for a new challenge.
"I would like to thank Neil for all his efforts during the past three years when he has helped move the club forward into a stronger position. In his first season, we won promotion and last season we defied the odds to retain our place in the Premiership.
"However, this year we have fallen short by the smallest of margins on the final day of the season and that comes as a disappointment to all of us."
It is a sad end to Back's time at Headingley, as he and director of rugby Andy Key guided the club to promotion in their first season in 2008/9 and then to survival in the top-flight the following year.
Key, though, lost his job in February after the club became embroiled in another relegation battle - and although Back oversaw wins over London Irish, Exeter and Newcastle it was just not enough for the Yorkshiremen.
