Andy Butler has paid the price for a dismal start to the 2026/27 campaign after the Scunthorpe United manager was relieved of his duties.
Tuesday's 4-1 defeat to Tamworth was Scunthorpe's sixth in their last seven matches and leaves them loitering precariously in the bottom four of the National League.
Former Iron defender Butler, who succeeded Jimmy Dean in the Glanford Park hotseat in May 2024, guided the club to promotion from the National League North in his first season before achieving a play-off berth in the fifth tier at the end of the previous campaign.
However, results deteriorated significantly at the start of the current season and Butler was unable to rectify the club's woes, with the 42-year-old questioning the application of his players in his final post-match interview.
As Scunthorpe begin their search for Butler's replacements, we've looked at the candidates in the frame to replace him.
Next Scunthorpe United Manager Contenders
Andy Crosby
A figure Iron supporters will know well, Andy Crosby made over 150 appearances for Scunthorpe and ended his playing career at Glanford Park.
Prior to his retirement Crosby had taken on the role of assistant manager at the club and the former defender had multiple coaching roles across the next decade at Southampton, Reading, Sheffield United and the Northern Ireland national team.
He earned his first managerial role at Port Vale in 2023 and despite leading the Valiants to the EFL Cup quarter-finals for the first time in their history, poor results in League One resulted in his dismissal less than a year into his tenure.
Crosby then reunited with Nigel Adkins at Tranmere and after succeeding his former boss as caretaker, he was handed the reins of the Merseyside outfit on a permanent basis as he preserved the club's League Two status.
Despite initial promise, Crosby's position became untenable following a run of 10 defeats in 11 and he was sacked by Tranmere in March this year.
Crosby would be a popular figure, and one who could galvanise results in the short-term, but questions linger over his suitability in the long run.
Jacob Butterfield
Jacob Butterfield returned to Scunthorpe in a player-coach capacity in the summer following a year where he worked under Alun Armstrong and Rob Elliot as player-assistant manager at Gateshead.
Handing Butterfield the managerial gig would certainly be a bold decision by the Scunthorpe hierarchy, although we have seen some success in a player-coach taking charge in the fifth tier, including Craig Ross with Woking last season.
With Butterfield assuming interim charge of the team alongside Ross Barrows, a strong run of results could lead to a permanent job offer at the end of it.
Andy Preece
Without deep financial resources, Scunthorpe will have to be diligent in their pursuit of Butler's successor and identifying coaches that have outperformed their resource should be on the club's agenda.
One candidate who fits that category is Andy Preece, who has performed an excellent job with the Lancashire club since taking the role of manager in May 2022.
The former Crystal Palace and Blackpool forward has a wealth of experience in non-league management and has guided Chorley into the National League North play-offs in two of his four seasons in charge, despite operating on one of the smaller budgets in the division.
Stuart Maynard
A managerial candidate who may prove unattainable, Stuart Maynard would be a dream choice for the Scunthorpe faithful.
Maynard's been out of work since his surprise sacking from York City in the summer, despite guiding the Minstermen to the National League title whilst playing exhilerating attacking football.
The former Wealdstone and Notts County boss has been linked with vacancies in lower League Two and the top end of the National League, which suggests Scunthorpe might not be the sort of project Maynard's looking for at present.
However, given the club's history and pedigree, if the Scunthorpe hierarchy can present the perfect sale pitch, could Maynard be tempted to steer the Iron revival?
Luke Williams
Luke Williams is back on the market following his dismissal at Peterborough United last month.
The 45-year-old knows what's required to win promotion from the National League having orchestrated Notts County's return to the EFL as they rivalled Wrexham in a compelling 2022/23 title battle.
Williams subsequently got his big move to Swansea City for the excellent work he'd undertaken at Meadow Lane, and despite early promise, his spell in South Wales concluded following a wretched run of seven defeats in nine.
He returned to management with Peterborough and having led the Posh to League One survival, he struggled with a youthful squad in the next campaign.
Like Maynard, Williams would be a major coup for Scunthorpe.
