Rowett was sacked by Birmingham on 14 December 2016 upon their change of ownership and boardroom team, despite leading the team to 7th in the Championship table and challenging for a play-off place.
Birmingham terminated Rowett's contract on December 14, 2016, due to the transition of ownership and the appointment of a new management team. Despite guiding the team to seventh place in the Championship standings and challenging for a playoff berth, he was dismissed.