Ventforet Kofu manager Hiroshi Jofuku will step down at the end of the J. League season.
Jofuku had been asked by 13th-place Kofu to return for a fourth season in 2015, but according to several sources on Monday, turned down the offer. A formal announcement is expected to be made in the coming days; a replacement for the ex-FC Tokyo coach has yet to be chosen.
Ventforet fought off relegation and secured their place in the top flight over the weekend with a 2-0 win against Sanfrecce Hiroshima.
In his first year in charge in 2012, Jofuku helped Kofu earn promotion by winning the second division. Next season will be Ventforet's third in a row in J1 — their longest uninterrupted stay in the first division.