Dragons coach Wayne Bennett will leave St George Illawarra at the end of the 2011 NRL season.
Assistant coach Steve Price is to replace Bennett as coach of the Dragons after this season.
Dragons chief executive Peter Doust announced Price's looming promotion at a media conference in Wollongong, saying the club had tried all it could to retain Bennett beyond this season.
Bennett declined to renew his contract with the club but said he had yet to decide where he would coach next season.
Bennett said he will not continue at the club because he felt he had completed his job there, having delivered the Dragons a long-awaited premiership in 2010.
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Asked whether money was his motivation for leaving, Bennett said: "It's not about money, if it was about money I wouldn't be leaving here."
Price, who was recommended for the job by Bennett, said the opportunity to coach in the NRL after a ten-year apprenticeship as an assistant was the realisation of a long-held dream.
"I've always had aspirations to be an NRL coach and I'm very grateful and honoured to be given this opportunity," Price said.
"But my post doesn't start till November 1, the big fella's driving the bus, I'm just the little bloke sitting next to him for the time being and we've got a job to do this year."
Bennett refused to give any indication of his next port of call, though it is believed it will come down to a decision between Newcastle and a return to Brisbane, the club he guided to six premierships as foundation coach.
Both clubs have stated their desire to lure the seven-time premiership winner, while a third interested party - South Sydney - appears to have dropped out of the race for his signature.
The first two years of Bennett's tenure with the joint venture Dragons have been hugely successful, with the club capturing back-to-back minor premierships before he ended the Dragons' 31-year title drought with last year's grand final triumph.
