Premier League's Nottingham Forest fires head coach Sean Dyche

NOTTINGHAM, England (AP) — Nottingham Forest has fired Sean Dyche and the Premier League team is looking for its fourth head coach of the season.

Dyche was fired late Wednesday following a goalless draw with the last-place Wolves, having been in charge for just 114 days. Forest’s failure to convert any of their numerous chances against Wolves left them three points clear of the relegation zone.

“Nottingham Forest Football Club can confirm that Sean Dyche has been relieved of his duties as head coach," the club said in a statement early Thursday. "We would like to thank Sean and his staff for their efforts during their time at the club and we wish them the best of luck for the future.

“We will be making no further comment at this time.”

Forest finished seventh in the Premier League under Nuno Espirito Santo last season, missing out on a Champions League spot after a poor end to the season. Nuno signed a three-year deal at the City Ground in June 2025, but was fired in September after a breakdown in his relationship with owner Evangelos Marinakis.

Former Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou was brought in as the Portuguese coach’s replacement, but lasted only 40 days in the job with Marinakis ending his tenure within minutes of a 3-0 defeat against Chelsea.

The draw Wednesday left Forest with just two wins from their last 10 matches in the Premier League — a run during which they also exited the FA Cup to Championship side Wrexham.

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Nottingham Forest's head coach Sean Dyche, left, speaks to Ferencvaros' head coach Robbie Keane ahead of the Europa League opening phase soccer match between Nottingham Forest and Ferencvaros in Nottingham, England, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Morgan Harlow)

Nottingham Forest manager Sean Dyche directs his team during the English Premier League soccer match between Leeds United and Nottingham Forest in Leeds, England, Friday Feb. 6, 2026. (Danny Lawson/PA via AP)

Nottingham Forest manager Sean Dyche reacts during the English Premier League soccer match between Nottingham Forest and Wolverhampton Wanderers, in Nottingham, England, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. Mike Egerton/PA via AP)

Nottingham Forest manager Sean Dyche signals during the English Premier League soccer match between Nottingham Forest and Wolverhampton Wanderers, in Nottingham, England, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)

President Donald Trump tried to put some teeth into his latest attempt to save college sports.

The threat of cutting funding to cash-starved schools that don’t comply is real, even if the stricter rules that come out of the executive order he signed Friday could take a while to figure out.

In the order signed hours before the women’s Final Four tipped off one of the biggest weekends in college sports, Trump went after eligibility rules, transfers and the spiraling costs associated with an industry that now pays its players millions of dollars per year.

He called on federal agencies to ensure schools are following the rules and threatened to choke off federal grants and funding — a similar approach his administration has taken to force universities around the country to alter policies involving diversity, equity and inclusion, transgender rights and even the kinds of classes they offer.

In some ways, forcing those changes might seem like child’s play once college sports figures this out. The NCAA, the newly created College Sports Commission, the four power conferences, dozens more smaller ones and hundreds of educational institutions all have a say here: It’s a big reason Congress, which Trump instructed to act quickly, has been stuck for more than a year on this.

“I'm glad to know the President wants Congress to pass something,” said Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., a key member of the Senate committee looking into changes, who mentioned ongoing bipartisan negotiations.

Trump’s order was his second since last July and it included a laundry list of proposed fixes, many of which lawmakers and college leaders have been pushing for since the approval of a $2.8 billion settlement changed the face of games that were once played by pure amateurs.

He called for “clear, consistent and fair eligibility limits, including a five-year participation window," and wants to limit athletes to one transfer with one more available once they get a four-year degree.

“I'm extremely supportive of the President's order,” said Cody Campbell, the Texas Tech regent and billionaire who is helping shape policy. “I'm very excited that we're making progress and look forward to continued work in the (Congress) to permanently preserve a system that's done so much for America.”

At a college sports roundtable he hosted last month, Trump said he anticipated any order he signed would trigger litigation. Athletes have largely won the freedom to transfer almost at will via the portal along with the ability to be paid by schools that are now doling out more than $20 million a year to their athletes.

Some have also been suing the NCAA about eligibility limits, and their right to do that has been a major sticking point in the Congressional deliberations.

As much as the changes he directs, Trump’s call for the Education Department, the Federal Trade Commission and the attorney general’s office to evaluate “whether violations of such rules render a university unfit for Federal grants and contracts” stands out as a way to force change.

Several universities across the country have made policy changes to comply with federal orders and avoid funding-related showdowns with the government. Yet big-named schools like Penn State and Florida State are facing huge debts.

“I haven’t read it, obviously, but I certainly appreciate his interest in the issue," NCAA President Charlie Baker said at the women's Final Four in Phoenix. "And from what I saw, some of the social media traffic, it’s pretty clear that he made clear that we need Congressional action to sort of seal the deal on a number of these things, which is good, because we do.”

Commissioners at the Atlantic Coast and Southeastern Conference released statements thanking Trump for weighing in, with the ACC's Jim Phillips saying “there continues to be significant momentum to preserve the athletic and academic opportunities for the next generation of student-athletes and we appreciate the ongoing efforts.”

Attorney Mit Winter, who follows college sports law, said the order is likely to set up a situation where the NCAA and schools have to decide whether to follow a federal court order or an executive order.

“Either way, we’re likely going to see litigation challenging the EO by athletes and third parties,” Winter said.

University of Nebraska president Jeffrey Gold said he didn't want to try to predict what the courts would do.

“But it is critical to what we must do to keep college athletics in line with what we do," Gold said. “The roundtable a few weeks ago showed there is a profound sense of urgency around this.”

AP Sports Writers Maura Carey, David Brandt and Eric Olson contributed to this report.

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President Donald Trump pauses as he finishes speaking about the Iran war from the Cross Hall of the White House on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool)