The Brumbies granted White a release from the last two years of his contract because "his heart's not in it".

Assistant coaches Stephen Larkham and Laurie Fisher are front-runners to replace White with the Brumbies now starting the search for a new coach.

White also feels his pathway back to international rugby as an Australian based coach was shut when the ARU overlooked him for the Wallabies job.

The Brumbies hope to have an appointment finalised within the next two weeks when the players return for pre-season training.

White approached Brumbies chief executive Andrew Fagan last Friday to ask for a release for personal reasons.

Fagan and Brumbies captain Ben Mowen spoke with White about his decision, but his mind was made up about staying in South Africa.

Brumbies players were shocked on Wednesday night when they learnt of the news on social media.

They were of the belief White was committed to helping them win a Super Rugby title and the coach had spoken to them last week about the pre-season training program.

White is in South Africa and will be at Newlands in Cape Town on Sunday morning to watch the Wallabies play the Springboks.

Fairfax Media understands White has been linked to a job at the Stormers for next season, either as a coach or a coaching director, or a job at the Sharks.

John Smit, White's former Springboks captain, is the boss at the Sharks.

It's understood missing out on the Wallabies coaching job affected White's desire to stay in Australian rugby.

The ARU overlooked White's World Cup-winning credentials to instead appoint Ewen McKenzie as the new Wallabies coach because of his vision to play "the Australian way", a reference to attacking rugby.

White approached the Brumbies last week to ask for a release for personal reasons.

The coach has been in South Africa for the past two months recuperating after the team lost the Super Rugby final to the Chiefs.

It's understood White met with Brumbies captain Ben Mowen in Cape Town on Wednesday night to inform him of his decision.

Assistant coaches Stephen Larkham and Laurie Fisher have been working this week to finalise the 2014 playing roster and tie up loose ends that White left unfinished. The pair have contracts to stay with the Brumbies, but it's unclear whether their deals were affected by White's presence.

White has also signed the bulk of his playing roster until at least the end of 2015, but it's unknown if they have get-out clauses.

Players re-signed with the Brumbies because they bought into his program and belief he could turn the club into a Super Rugby powerhouse.

White's tenure in Canberra has been riddled with speculation about his future as the Brumbies coach despite signing a four-year deal.

White almost walked out on the Brumbies just two games into his contract when he was linked to the vacant England job.

Just hours before the Brumbies clash against the Cheetahs in March last year, he ruled himself out of the running and committed to his Canberra deal.

White led South Africa to a World Cup triumph in 2007.

He was also linked to the Ireland coaching job earlier this year and then the ARU asked White to apply for the Wallabies job.

White met with ARU powerbrokers in Melbourne before the Wallabies' second Test against the British and Irish Lions in June.

Former South African World Cup-winning coach White was recruited to the Brumbies to lift the team out of its darkest era.

But he is now leaving after completing just two years of his four-year contract and the players will return to pre-season training in three weeks without a coach.