Sunderland have parted ways with head coach Tony Mowbray following last Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Millwall, with Mike Dodds taking interim charge of the team.
The Black Cats are currently ninth in the Championship with just eight wins from their first 19 matches of the season.
But Sunderland are only three points behind sixth-placed Hull — and a change of manager could help them qualify for the play-offs for the second consecutive season.
Ex-Celtic boss Mowbray joined the Wearside outfit in August 2022, replacing Alex Neil.
He guided Sunderland to a sixth-place finish last term as they lost out in the play-off semi-finals to Luton.
Sunderland chairman Kyril Louis-Dreyfus said: “I would like to place on record my gratitude to Tony for his hard work and commitment to Sunderland, a place where he will always be welcome.
“As custodians of our great club, we believe in our long-term strategy that we hope will ensure sustainability and success for Sunderland.
“Central to that approach is a relentless demand for a high performance culture to be implemented throughout the club and the development of a strong playing identity that you, our loyal supporters, can all be proud of.
“Your continued support will also be fundamental to that progress and we look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at the Stadium of Light throughout the festive period and as we enter 2024.
Sporting director Kristjaan Speakman added: “This was a difficult decision to make, but we remain loyal to our ambition and our strategy, and felt that now was the right moment to take this step.
“We are now focused on identifying the right candidate and we will continue to support our coaching team and players throughout the interim period.”
Sunderland’s next match sees them host West Brom at the Stadium of Light on Saturday lunchtime.