England team manager Martin Johnson has stood down after three and a half years in the role.
His decision follows a miserable World Cup which ended in quarter-final defeat by France and featured a series of on and off-field controversies.
The 41-year-old won 84 caps for England as a player, leading the side to victory in the 2003 World Cup.
Johnson and the Rugby Football Union's director of elite rugby Rob Andrew will hold a press conference at 1600 GMT.
Johnson confirmed that he had quit when contacted by the BBC, but refused to elaborate on his reasons.
The position of Johnson's backroom staff of forwards coach John Wells, defence coach Mike Ford, scrum coach Graham Rowntree and attack coach Brian Smith is not clear.
Graham Henry and Nick Mallett, former coaches of New Zealand and Italy respectively, have been suggested as possible replacements for Johnson.
Northampton coach Jim Mallinder, who has overseen England stars Chris Ashton, Ben Foden, Dylan Hartley and Courtney Lawes at Saints, has confirmed he would be interested in the role.
However, Jake White, who coached South Africa to World Cup success in 2007, has ruled himself out of the running.
His agent Craig Livingstone previously said the England role had come at the wrong time after White signed a four-year contract with Super 15 side the ACT Brumbies in April.
Under Johnson's leadership, England won the Six Nations earlier this year, but it proved to be the only tournament success of his time in charge.
After a series of unconvincing performances in the group stages of the World Cup, England fell in their first knockout match.
A series of reviews into the campaign have been announced against the backdrop of internal upheaval at the RFU.
The Professional Game Board (PGB), which is considering evidence from the Rugby Players Association, the RFU's elite rugby department and Premier Rugby, received the first report into the campaign on Tuesday.
The PGB's 12-man panel meets for the first time on Wednesday. The RFU's acting chief executive Martyn Thomas has already stepped down from all roles at the organisation while stand-in England captain Mike Tindall has been removed from the elite player squad and fined £25,000 for his conduct in New Zealand.
Former England skipper Will Carling believes that Johnson should be retained in a different capacity at the RFU.
"Sad for MJ. The man was an awesome player, incredible captain. One of THE greatest England players/servants. Hope there is a role for him," he tweeted.
The England job was Johnson's first in charge of a rugby team on the touchlines rather than as an on-field leader.
"Johnno didn't have the CV to do the job but the RFU backed him and he backed himself and unfortunately and regrettably he came up short,"
The writing on the wall for Johnno was when he selected Steve Borthwick as captain.
"That was what he thought was the right decision and many others didn't and for many that was the beginning of the end.
"There was a brief highlight in beating Australia away from home and thrashing them at Twickenham, that gave us all expectation of what was to come.
"They won the Six Nations but their performance at the World Cup was abysmal and that was the end."
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