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Taieri has replaced its coach less than a year after reaching the premier final.
The club's senior committee voted unanimously to remove Erik Vaafusuaga during a meeting on Monday night.
It also emerged yesterday referee Rob Wells had lodged a formal complaint about an incident in the game between Taieri and Zingari-Richmond on Saturday.
Otago community rugby manager Richard Perkins confirmed the union had received the complaint. It is looking into the incident and had no further comment.
The referee was believed to be subjected to verbal abuse from Taieri players and the coach.
Taieri president John Freeland said the club was not satisfied with the direction the premier team had been heading and the committee was united in its decision to replace Vaafusuaga with former Hurricanes assistant coach Murray Roulston.
"To put it in succinct terms, there was a committee meeting held on Monday night ... and as a result of that meeting the existing premier coaching group has been removed,'' Freeland said.
Vaafusuaga had "a number of people'' assisting him this season and the Eels started well, winning four of their first five games. But Taieri has lost its past three games and slipped to fourth place in the standings.
It is hardly a catastrophic fall but Freeland said the club had conducted a mid-season review and felt change was required.
"There were issues around the performance of our premier squad this year and it was a situation we needed to look at as a club and we've decided to make a change.''
Vaafusuaga could not be reached from comment but his removal will undoubtedly alienate some supporters.
He played 221 senior games for the club during a 21-year career. He had a 48-game stint with Green Island when Taieri dropped out of the premier competition but returned to play for the Eels when the club re-established a premier 2 side.
He took over as coach last season and guided Taieri to the final last year. It was beaten by a very impressive University A outfit.
The decision to replace Vaafusuaga was a tough call, Freeland said.
"When you've got a chap who has played 221 games for the club like Erik, then you owe him a debt of gratitude. At the start of the season, he was the only candidate who put his hand up to coach that squad.
"The fact that he was prepared to do that speaks volumes about the man he is. Unfortunately, events have unfolded to the point we find ourselves at now.''
Freeland accepted it would be an unsettling time for the team.
"Change in any [aspect] of life is unsettling. But we see this as a positive move because if you look at Murray's coaching resume, it is fairly complete one. He has overseas experience with national teams and he has had experience in New Zealand with the Highlanders and with the Hurricanes.
"He is a man who is well known in New Zealand coaching circles and he runs a very good coaching business in terms of what he is offering the rugby players across the province. We are delighted to secure his services and I think he is without peer in regards to coaches in Dunedin.''
It is rare for a club to dump its coach midway through the season. In 2009, Taieri parted ways with John Kelly four games into the campaign. It was the second change that season with Harbour coach Paddy Stewart resigning just before the competition started.