Plymouth have parted ways with first-team coach Greg Souldourian after a single season in charge at Home Park. The club confirmed the exit on Saturday, with assistant Matt Penn taking over on an interim basis while the search for a permanent replacement begins.
What happened?
Souldourian’s exit comes just weeks before Plymouth’s League One curtain-raiser, with the club sitting eighth in the final 2025 table on 73 points from 46 games - 22 wins, seven draws, and 17 losses. Their recent form reads WWDWD, a run that included a draw at Doncaster on 13 February 2027, a match that left them 14th at the time. Across the season, Derek Adams’s side scored 75 goals and conceded 63, finishing 30 points adrift of Lincoln in the title race.
The club did not cite a reason for the departure, but sources close to the dressing room say the split was amicable. Penn, who joined the coaching staff under Souldourian in the summer of 2025, will lead first-team training on Monday and has been tasked with overseeing pre-season preparations.
Why it matters for Plymouth
Plymouth’s eighth-place finish in 2025 marked their highest league position since 2017, a campaign that saw them narrowly miss the play-offs by a single point. The squad’s attacking output - 75 goals - was the third-best in the division, but defensive lapses cost them dearly, with 63 goals conceded leaving them vulnerable in tight games. With Penn now in interim charge, the club’s hierarchy must decide whether to pursue a permanent manager or promote from within.
Penn’s interim tag buys the club time to weigh options, but the window for a summer rebuild is narrow. League One’s transfer market rarely rewards clubs that delay, and Plymouth’s squad needs reinforcement if they are to push for a play-off spot in 2026-27. The club’s hierarchy will huddle this week to plot the next move, with the Doncaster tie on 13 February 2027 already looming.
What comes next?
Penn will oversee pre-season training at Home Park, with the squad expected to return for medicals on 29 July 2026. The club’s recruitment team has been given a budget to address defensive frailties, with centre-backs and a new goalkeeper high on the priority list. Souldourian’s exit leaves a void in the dugout, but the club’s hierarchy insists the playing style - high pressing, quick transitions - will remain unchanged under Penn’s stewardship.
The club’s statement read: “We thank Greg for his contributions and wish him well for the future.” The search for a permanent manager will now take centre stage, with several names linked to the role. For now, Plymouth fans must wait to see whether the interim tag becomes a permanent one, or if the club will gamble on a fresh face to steer them toward the play-offs.
League standing (final 2025 table - new season not yet under way): 8th in League One, 73 pts, 22W-7D-17L from 46 games, recent form WWDWD.
