Mark Warburton, in charge of the Championship playoff outsiders for only 17 months, and with one promotion to his name already, took the principled decision in February that he could not continue to work under a new system proposed by the London club's owner Matthew Benham.
Benham, who made his fortune by using data and mathematical models as a betting tool, wants a head coach who will not necessarily have the last word on transfers and will work under a sporting director.
Warburton found that unacceptable and will leave at the end of the month, whether or not his team have overcome Middlesbrough and then either Norwich City and Ipswich Town in the playoffs beginning this weekend.
He knows he is gambling with his career after only 10 years in football, but is used to risk. As a former stock market trader in the City of London, the 52 year-old says his turnover every day could reach £2 billion ($3.05 billion).
"There are certain things if you feel are not right you either stand up or you accept it. But don't moan about it," he told reporters about his decision to quit.
"There's a sense of frustration on my side, I'm going to be angry at certain times, but you have to deal with it and the focus has been on the players."
Saying goodbye to those players, many of whom he brought to the club, will be "an ache", he added, and he wants to ensure if at all possible that he leaves them in the Premier League with a victory at Wembley in the playoff final on May 25.
After that he and his assistant, the former Everton and Scotland defender David Weir, will wait with a certain apprehension to see what offers come their way.
"We finish at the end of May and we hope the phone rings," he said.
"People have been very complimentary but there's not many jobs in football and there are some really good people in situ.
"You hope an opportunity opens up and you get offered it. If you don't, you have to look further afield maybe."
That could be a hint to clubs in Europe, many of whom will be aware of the work done by a man on the verge of taking a small club further than they could have dreamed.
(Reporting By Steve Tongue; editing by Toby Davis)
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