Ayr Utd have confirmed the departure of manager Scott Brown and assistant Steven Whittaker. The duo left the club by mutual consent, with the Honest Men currently sitting in eighth place in the Scottish Championship. Brown led Ayr Utd to a third-place finish in his first season in charge, but results have deteriorated in recent weeks. A 3-0 defeat at the hands of Raith Rovers on Friday night seems to have forced the club's hand, with supporters increasingly voicing their discontent with the management team. Brown leaves Ayr Utd five points adrift of Neil Lennon's Dunfermline, who occupy the play-off position. However, with Ross County currently sitting in the relegation play-off spot, just seven points behind Ayr Utd, the club may have looked over their shoulder rather than upwards. Brown is a Celtic legend, with 22 major honours won at the club, including 10 Scottish Premiership titles, six Scottish Cups, and six League Cups. He has had a coaching role at Aberdeen and a managerial stint in England with Fleetwood Town before returning to Scotland and taking the Ayr job.