On the heels of winning her second consecutive Women’s World Cup at the helm of the United States Women’s National Team, Jill Ellis will leave her post as the team’s manager. The news was first reported by Jeff Kassouf of The Equalizer and was confirmed by U.S. Soccer shortly after.
“When I accepted the head coaching position this was the timeframe I envisioned,” Ellis said in a statement. “The timing is right to move on and the program is positioned to remain at the pinnacle of women’s soccer. Change is something I have always embraced in my life and for me and my family this is the right moment.”
Ellis took over the national team program in 2014 following her second spell as its interim manager. The squad registered a 102-7-18 record during her tenure, and on the biggest stage, the red, white, and blue delivered at an unprecedented rate. The United States never lost a World Cup match with Ellis at the helm, going 13-1-0 and helping her become the first coach to lead a team to back-to-back Women’s World Cup wins.
Per The Equalizer, Ellis’ contract expires on Wednesday, and while a mutual option to lead the team through the 2020 Olympics was on the table, she opted to step down. This does not quite mark the end of her tenure as the USWNT’s manager, though, as U.S. Soccer announced Ellis will be on the touchline for the team’s upcoming five-match victory tour. Once that ends in October, Ellis will serve as an ambassador for the federation.
The search for Ellis’ successor, meanwhile, will commence following the appointment of the national team program’s first general manager, which U.S. Soccer says “will take place soon.”
