Former Barnsley head coach Conor Hourihane has left Leicester City after just over four months as assistant manager.
Foxes manager Russell Martin says the 35-year-old wants to return to management after the pair discussed his future at the King Power Stadium.
Russell Martin explains Conor Hourihane’s Leicester City exit
Leicester confirmed Hourihane’s departure on Thursday, having appointed him at the end of June as part of Martin’s first coaching team. Martin said the decision followed a frank conversation about what Hourihane wanted from his next job, with roles both in this country and abroad having come up during his time at Leicester.
“There’s been opportunities that have come up here and abroad that maybe would have interested him if he’d been out of work.”
Martin said the pair would stay in touch and thanked Hourihane for joining him in the summer. Hourihane also wished Leicester well on Instagram and said the experience of working at the club had helped him develop.
“Really enjoyed my time and learned so much to make me a better coach going into my next role.”
From Barnsley captain to head coach
Hourihane’s first spell at Oakwell brought two wins at Wembley in 2016. He captained Barnsley to the EFL Trophy and then helped them win promotion through the League One play-offs in the same season, before leaving for Aston Villa in January 2017.
He scored 31 goals in 135 appearances in his first spell at Oakwell. His playing career also took him to the Premier League with Villa, while he earned 36 caps for the Republic of Ireland.
The former Republic of Ireland international returned to Barnsley as a player-coach in June 2024 under Darrell Clarke. He retired from playing that December to concentrate on coaching and took interim charge when Clarke departed in March 2025, before getting the job permanently the following month.
Barnsley took seven points from three unbeaten league games last November, earning Hourihane a nomination for League One Manager of the Month. They finished 15th in his only full season in charge, with the club and Hourihane agreeing in April that he would leave at the end of the campaign.
Steve Morison takes on first-team coaching duties
Leicester confirmed that Steve Morison will help coach the first team alongside his existing work as loans manager. The former Leeds United forward, who played with Martin at Norwich City, joins Andy King, Tom Weal and Rhys Owen in supporting the Leicester manager.
Morison had already been working with Martin’s staff in training and on matchdays before the change was announced. He also has EFL management experience, having taken charge of Cardiff City and Sutton United.
The change comes after Leicester won five of their opening 13 league games following back-to-back relegations. Martin’s immediate attention turns to Friday’s FA Cup first-round tie away at National League North side Oxford City, while Hourihane is free to pursue a second job in management.
