MICHAEL Foley has stepped down as coach of the Western Force effective immediately after a lacklustre three seasons.

Players were called into a meeting today to inform them of the decision, and assistant coach Dave Wessels will take charge of the side for the remaining three games of the season.

The bombshell comes a fortnight after the ARU formed an alliance with the Force to run the club amid serious financial difficulty and inability to recruit high-quality players.

media_camera Michael Foley has been dumped as Western Force coach. Picture: Daniel Wilkins

The Force are the worst-performing side in the Australasian conference, having won just two games and with a competition low 21 tries from 12 games.

Foley has been under significant pressure after last year’s poor showing, when the Force were handed the wooden spoon after managing just three wins.

Foley had one more year remaining on his contract but it has been decided mutually that he will not be employed beyond this season.

Foley’s impending departure follows his acrimonious stint as head coach of the Waratahs in 2012, when he led the franchise to its worst season on record, finishing with eight consecutive losses, before signing with the Force.

media_camera Western Force coach Michael Foley addresses his players during a recent match.

Several high profile Force players made the decision earlier this year to sign with overseas clubs for 2017, while there are other off-contract stars including Kyle Godwin and Nathan Charles who have yet to decide their futures.

Australian rugby needs the Force to become competitive again to turn around its financial situation and public appeal, and the club will begin the search for a new coach immediately.