Antony Sweeney and Michael Nelson led Hartlepool United out in a 2-0 home defeat on the final day of the season over the weekend.
The match came after Graeme Lee was sacked as manager on Thursday after the Pools had only won one of their previous eleven matches.
With the first season back in League Two complete, the club can now return their attentions to appointing a new manager and a number of fresh faces have been linked over the past couple of days.
Sweeney and Nelson were previously both favourites to replace Lee permanently, though it appears there are now some big names ahead of the pair in the board’s pecking order.
So who is in line to take the reigns at the Suit Direct Stadium?
We take a look at the frontrunners to become the next Hartlepool United manager...
13. Lee Johnson - 25/1
Lee Johnson was sacked as Sunderland manager following a 6-0 defeat to Bolton in January. He won the 2021 EFL Trophy with the Black Cats and also left them in third place in League One. | Getty Images
14. Chris Beech - 25/1
Beech left his role as manager at Carlisle United in October. The former midfielder previously spent two years with Hartlepool during his playing career. | Getty Images