USWNT Picks Emma Hayes as New Head Coach, Making Her World’s Highest-Paid Female Coach

The US women’s soccer team has found a new coach!

In a press release on Tuesday, the U.S. Soccer Association announced that Emma Hayes has been named head coach of the USWNT. The role was previously held by Vlatko Andonovski, who stepped down after the team’s early exit from the Women’s World Cup in August.

USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski resigns after early withdrawal from World Cup: ‘It was the honor of my life’

Twila Kilgore served as the team’s interim head coach during the transition period. U.S. Soccer said Kilgore will retain the title while Hayes finishes the 2023-24 Women’s Super League season with Chelsea FC Women, which she has managed for the past 11 seasons. Kilgore will then join Hayes’ staff as an assistant coach.

According to US Soccer, Hayes will “become the highest-paid women’s soccer coach in the world” after she officially joins the organization two months before the 2024 Olympics begin. The federation reached an agreement on equal pay for female players in May 2022.

The USWNT celebrated Emma Hayes’ new role on Instagram.

American Football WNT/ Instagram

While the financial details of her contract have not been disclosed, sources told Yahoo Sports that Hayes’ salary “will be close to approximately $1.6 million as [U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team coach Gregg Berhalter] now do.”

In a statement released with the announcement, Hayes said her new role was a “great honor.”

The USWNT was eliminated from the World Cup in the first round after a penalty shootout loss to Sweden

“The feelings and connection I have with this team and this country run deep. I have long dreamed of being the USA coach, so getting this opportunity is a dream come true. I know there is work to be done to achieve our goals of consistently winning at the highest levels ,” Hayes’ statement added.

Hayes’ career achievements include six Women’s Super League titles, one WSL Spring Series title, five Women’s FA Cups and two FA Women’s League Cups, according to a statement.

The U.S. Soccer Association recognized some of her milestones in an Instagram post. Hayes is a “proven winner,” the federation said, adding that she has “one of the most distinguished managerial careers in club football centered on the #USWNT touchline. 🇺🇸.”

The decision to name Hayes as the head coach was finalized by American football athletic director Matt Crocker.

The statement explained that the candidates went through an “intensive and thorough interview process” that included “psychometric and abstract reasoning tests” and “in-depth strategy discussions.”

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Hayes’ “passion for the game, her coaching acumen, her ability to energize players and staff, her commitment to continuing to develop as a coach and her qualities as a person” made her stand out, Crocker said in a statement.

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Source: HIS Education