Head coach Kieron Dawson has parted company with Worthing Raiders.

His right-hand man and backs coach Nick Buoy has also left the National Two South club.

Raiders, one of the pre-season favourites, finished the season in 11th spot after flirting with relegation.

Former Ireland international Dawson took over as head coach at Roundstone Lane in July 2011 and guided the club to National One in the 2012-13 campaign after success in the play-offs against Stourbridge.

Dawson expects the club to shortly announce a director of rugby, who will bring in his own people.

The Irishman revealed that he and Buoy have had to become more involved in the behind-the-scenes administration over time, whereas initially it was just coaching and developing players.

Dawson said: “It has become much more of a role than we wanted and it has taken up a lot more of our time than we wanted. It lost it’s fun because it had moved so far away from what it had wanted to be.

“I am building my own house at the moment and I am also working full-time as my wife has a company and I work full-time for her. It is time that I don’t have and more of it was being eroded. And then you throw in three children as well.”

Dawson adds: “It’s a great club and a great bunch of players and we wish them well. Nick and I can leave very proud of our record. In our four or five seasons we finished in the top five places that a Sussex club has ever finished and playing an entertaining brand of rugby.”