The Halifax Wanderers have parted ways with head coach Stephen Hart following the conclusion of the 2022 Canadian Premier League season, the club announced on Thursday.

“I met with Stephen yesterday and informed him that I felt it was time for new leadership at our football club,” Wanderers Founder and President Derek Martin said.

“Stephen handled this conversation with the same class and dignity he has displayed while representing our club for the past five years, and I am forever grateful to him for his contributions to helping our club get off the ground and to the growth of soccer here in Atlantic Canada.”

Hart was named the first head coach in Wanderers history in 2018. In 2020, he was named the CPL Coach of the Year after leading Halifax to an appearance in the league final during The Island Games. During that competition, the Wanderers turned heads by finishing second in the league in both the first round and four-team group stage, falling narrowly to Forge FC in a hard-fought final.

Hart also led the team through a solid 2021 season that saw them fall just barely short of the playoffs, in a  year where star forward João Morelli won the league’s Golden Boot and Player of the Year award.

In 2022, HFX finished seventh in the CPL with 29 points, posting a record of eight wins, five draws, and 15 defeats.

The Wanderers’ search for a new head coach begins immediately.

“With our passionate fans, natural grass pitch, permanent stadium opportunity and roster flexibility, I believe Halifax is the best job in Canadian soccer, and I am expecting several impressive Canadian and international candidates to come forward to lead our club into the future,” Martin said.