Frank Schmidt will step down as Heidenheim head coach at the end of the 2026/27 season, bringing an end to an extraordinary spell of almost 20 years in charge of the Bundesliga club.

The longest-serving coach in German professional football has decided not to extend his expiring contract, having informed club chairman Holger Sanwald of his decision on Monday. Schmidt will leave of his own accord, having opted to take a break from coaching this summer.

“I was impressed by how hard the club worked to extend my contract again. Over the past few weeks, however, I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s time to make a decision, also to give FCH the ability to plan ahead. I, therefore, informed Holger Sanwald on Monday that I will not be extending my contract, because after nearly 20 years as head coach at FCH, I simply want to take a break this summer,” Schmidt explained.

“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. Instead, I’ll give it my all until the very last game to ensure we achieve the greatest possible success this season. One thing is certain: together as FCH, we’ve written a unique chapter in German professional football over many years, but the final chapter isn’t over yet.”

Watch: Frank Schmidt's Heidenheim history

Schmidt, 52, took charge of Heidenheim in September 2007, when the club were competing in the fifth tier of German football. He went on to oversee their remarkable rise through the divisions, culminating in promotion to the Bundesliga for the first time in 2023. He subsequently guided them into European competition before their relegation to Bundesliga 2 last season.

Having overseen 756 matches at the helm, including 102 in the German top flight, Schmidt will now look to bring his time at the Voith-Arena to a fitting conclusion, with the remainder of the campaign providing one final opportunity to add to the club's remarkable story under his leadership.

Heidenheim are currently sixth in Bundesliga 2, four points adrift of the promotion play-off position.