But after Saturdays game at Loftus Road the fans showed their thanks to Coleman for keeping them in the Premier League with a standing ovation for the former Welsh international.
"That was fantastic," he said. "When I retired, I didn't get chance to thank the Fulham fans for the way they looked after me, so maybe I got the chance to do that today.
"It couldn't have gone much better for me in charge and we're staying in the Premiership.
"As soon as the players found out Jean wasn't staying, they found it difficult to get motivated.
"There was a lot of negativity around the club, including to do with where we're playing.
"We weren't playing very well and there was a black cloud over the club.
"So when Jean went, we had a chat with all the players. We all knew we were in trouble and had to pull together, which we have done.
"We're never going to be a top-six club or a big club, so if we finish in mid-table next season, that'll be a great season for us."
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