USWNT coach Jill Ellis will step down from her role following the U.S. Victory Tour that ends in October. She led the U.S. to two consecutive Women's World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019, the first coach in history to do so.
For everything she has done and everything she has meant to this program we say, THANK YOU
Jill Ellis will step down as #USWNT head coach in October.#ThankYouJill: https://t.co/5I3dwtQXIo pic.twitter.com/QkCAkMItQj— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) July 30, 2019
“The opportunity to coach this team and work with these amazing women has been the honor of a lifetime,” Ellis said in a U.S. Soccer news release. “I want to thank and praise them for their commitment and passion to not only win championships but also raise the profile of this sport globally while being an inspiration to those who will follow them."
U.S. Soccer announced the women's national team will hire a new general manager, who then hire the new USWNT head coach to follow Ellis. After the Victory Tour, Ellis will be named a U.S. Soccer ambassador. As an ambassador, she will represent the federation at various events and speaking engagements, according to the news release.
Ellis ended her USWNT stint with 102 wins to date over her five years at the helm. Two years were undefeated, 2018 (18-0-2) and 2016 (22-0-3) — the caveat for 2016 was the penalty-shootout loss to Sweden at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
“Jill was always extremely passionate about this team, analytical, tremendously focused and not afraid to make tough decisions while giving her players the freedom to play to their strengths," U.S. Soccer President Carlos Cordeiro said in the news release. "She helped raise the bar for women’s soccer in the USA and the world, and given the history of this program, the level of success she achieved is even more remarkable.”
The U.S. Victory Tour kicks off against the Republic of Ireland at 10 p.m. ET Aug. 3 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The USWNT then faces Portugal twice: first on Aug. 29 in Philadelphia, then on Sept. 3 in St. Paul, Minnesota. The Oct. 3 and Oct. 6 matches have no opponent or location confirmed yet.
