After only five months, Oxford United’s head coach Matt Bloomfield has left the club.
Bloomfield replaced Gary Rowett at the Kassam Stadium, with Oxford in the midst of a Championship relegation struggle.
However, the former Luton Town, Wycombe Wanderers, and Colchester United manager was unable to lead the U’s to safety.
His team finished 22nd and was relegated to League One alongside Leicester City, who had won the Premier League a decade earlier, and Sheffield Wednesday.
Oxford are currently looking for their third manager in 18 months, after Des Buckingham was fired halfway through the club’s first of two seasons in the second tier.
Oxford commended Bloomfield, 42, for his work in a statement announcing his resignation.
“Throughout his career, Bloomfield represented Oxford United with professionalism and integrity.
“We would like to thank Matt for his work and wish him all the best in the future.
“The process of appointing a new Men’s First Team Head coach will begin immediately, and the Club will provide updates in due course.”
Bloomfield led Oxford for only 14 games, the shortest tenure of any permanent manager since Gary Waddock’s eight-game stint in 2014.
The former midfielder, who came through the ranks at Ipswich Town before spending nearly his entire playing career with Wycombe, won four of his eight games as manager.
Bloomfield has been demoted from the Championship twice in as many seasons, with his Luton team falling down on goal difference in the 2024/25 season.
Bloomfield joined Colchester in 2022 as a manager after retiring earlier that year due to a concussion suffered while playing for Wycombe.
However, just five months later, he returned to Wycombe to replace his former teammate and boss, Gareth Ainsworth, who had moved for QPR.
Bloomfield won three Manager of the Month titles with Wycombe, where he was competing for League One promotion halfway through the 2024/25 season, before assuming the Luton position in January of last year.
Oxford are now one of three EFL clubs without a manager, including Championship Burnley and League Two Rotherham United.
Watford, another Championship club, had been in the similar situation until earlier this week, when they selected Alessio Dionisi as their 24th permanent manager in just 14 years.
When the fixtures for the 2026/27 season are revealed next Thursday (June 25), all 72 EFL clubs will learn who their first opponents will be.
The 2017 EFL season is slated to begin on Friday, August 14.
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