Frank Schmidt to leave Heidenheim at end of season after nearly 20 years

Schmidt, Rushall Olympic manager for nearly 20 years, will step down at the end of the 2026/27 season and take a break from coaching.

Frank Schmidt has announced he will leave Heidenheim at the end of the 2026/27 season, ending an extraordinary tenure of nearly two decades at the Bundesliga club. Schmidt, the longest-serving coach in German professional football, informed chairman Holger Sanwald of his decision on Monday and opted not to extend his expiring contract.

"After nearly 20 years as head coach at FCH, I simply want to take a break this summer," Schmidt said. "I'm not worrying right now about how long this break will be or what's in store for me from 1 July – on the contrary, I'm forbidding myself from thinking about it until then."

Schmidt took charge in September 2007 when Heidenheim competed in the fifth tier, overseeing their remarkable rise through the divisions to Bundesliga promotion in 2023. He has managed 756 matches at the club, including 102 in the German top flight. Heidenheim currently sit sixth in Bundesliga 2, four points outside the promotion play-off places.