Former Lincoln City head coach Mark Kennedy has left his current role with Birmingham City, with the club confirming his departure for personal reasons.
Birmingham announced that Kennedy has stepped down from his position as Under-21s Professional Development Phase Coach, bringing to an end a spell that began in June 2025. The club confirmed he led the Under-21s through their first campaign as a Premier League 2 side, and thanked him for his contribution during his time at St Andrew’s, adding that the process of appointing a successor is now underway.
Kennedy’s appointment last summer marked a return to Birmingham, where he had previously served as assistant head coach during the 2021/22 season under Lee Bowyer. At the time of his arrival, the club highlighted his extensive experience across both senior and academy football, underpinned by a 20-year playing career that included 34 caps for the Republic of Ireland.
Following his retirement as a player in 2013, Kennedy moved into coaching with Ipswich Town’s academy before spending two years with Manchester City’s youth setup. He later returned to senior football, taking on the head coach role at the Bank in the summer of 2022.
Kennedy oversaw more than 70 matches in charge of the Imps and guided the club to its second-highest league finish in more than 40 years (at the time). Assistant head coach Danny Butterfield joined his staff in December 2022, but both departed Sincil Bank in October 2023.
After leaving Lincoln, Kennedy had a brief spell as head coach at Swindon Town before moving back into academy football with Birmingham ahead of the club’s return to Category One status.
His latest departure brings that chapter to a close, with Birmingham City now set to move forward in appointing a new lead figure for their Under-21s programme.
Despite not being a huge fan of his time at Sincil Bank, we hope that the personal reasons are not too serious, and we wish him all the best for the future.
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