Whitehaven coach James Coyle is to stand down at the end of the season – hopefully after helping to keep the Recreation Ground club in the Championship.

Extra work commitments with his expanding business have meant that Coyle has told the club that he does not wish to be considered for the coaching position next season.

Whitehaven chairman Tommy Todd said: “James informed us of his position and we will be advertising the post, possibly as early as next week in the trade papers.

“I think there would have been a case for keeping-on James next year, bringing some continuity to the club in the coaching position. There have been some very good performances this season and I think we would have been further up the table but for the injury situation which have obviously affected us.”

Coyle is in his second season as Whitehaven coach but as well as his business involvements, he and his wife became parents for the third time earlier this year so family commitments are also involved in his decision.

“I think the travelling is starting to affect him as well, because he’s got that on top of his work and his family. It’s quite understandable.

“What he is determined to do is end his Whitehaven career on a high by keeping the club in the Championship,” said Todd.

There are just three games left in the regulation season – two of them away, at Bradford and neighbours Workington Town – before finishing-off with a home game against fellow strugglers Sheffield.

That will then set-up seven more games in the Super Eights to complete the season when the key clashes will be the ones against Workington, Oldham, Sheffield, Dewsbury and Swinton.

An Irish international, capped three times, Coyle started his playing career at Wigan St. Patrick’s before joining the Wigan Academy where he was their senior player of the year in 2003.

In that same year he captained the England Under-17’s Academy team which beat the Australian Institute of Sport for the first time.

His full Wigan debut was in 2005 against Whitehaven when he was voted man of the match.

But what had looked a promising career never took off and he played only briefly at Widnes, Oldham, Barrow, Workington and Hunslet before taking a year out.

Wigan-born, and still only 30, Coyle was invited to Whitehaven by Steve Deakin whose Haven reign as coach lasted only a few weeks before he quit on the eve of last season. Coyle was then appointed by Haven and at 29 as one of the youngest head coaches in the pro game.

His father, Bernard Coyle and grandfather, Bernard Coyle senior, both played scrum-half for Wigan in the 1970’s and 1940’s, respectively.