The Australian offered to quit following talks with Reds chief executive David Tarry and has been replaced by assistant coach Steve McCormack.

"I went to see John yesterday morning and, after an open and frank discussion, he felt he should resign," said Tarry.

"He felt it was the best thing for the club, for both John Harvey and Salford.

Tarry said the club had been grooming Steve McCormack for the last six years and described him as one of the leading British coaches in the game.

"The idea was for him to take over from John Harvey, probably at the end of the season, and we have now accelerated that process," Tarry explained.

Salford's sorry display against Wigan was their third heavy defeat in a row after conceding a half-century of points against both Halifax and Leeds.

Harvey accused his players of letting themselves down after their latest setback but admitted he was baffled by the display.

Fifth coaching casualty

"The last three weeks the defence has gone out of the window and at the moment I can't work out why," he said.

"I think the players are letting themselves down but the buck stops with me."

Harvey, whose contract was due to expire at the end of the season, becomes the fifth coaching casualty of Super League VI, following in the footsteps of Stuart Raper (Castleford), Frank Endacott (Wigan), Dean Lance (Leeds) and Gary Mercer (Halifax).

The elevation of McCormack takes the number of English coaches in Super League to five, including Wakefield's Australian-reared John Harbin.