Emma Hayes has been confirmed as the new head coach of the U.S. women’s national team.
Hayes, 47, has signed a deal that makes her the highest-paid coach in women’s football. She will remain at Chelsea until the end of the current Women’s Super League (WSL) season and will start her new role next May in time for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
Advertisement
Chelsea announced Hayes’ departure on Saturday and The Athletic reported shortly after that she was to take the USWNT job.
The U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) confirmed the news on Tuesday. USSF President Cindy Parlow Cone said: “Emma is a fantastic leader and world-class coach who sets high standards for herself and for everyone around her.
“She has tremendous energy and an insatiable will to win. Her experience in the USA, her understanding of our soccer landscape, and her appreciation of what it means to coach this team makes her a natural fit for this role and we could not be more pleased to have her leading our Women’s National Team forward.”
Hayes, who has guided Chelsea to six WSL titles, said: “This is a huge honour to be given the opportunity to coach the most incredible team in world football history. The feelings and connection I have for this team and for this country run deep. I’ve dreamed about coaching the USA for a long time so to get this opportunity is a dream come true.
“I know there is work to do to achieve our goals of winning consistently at the highest levels. To get there, it will require dedication, devotion and collaboration from the players, staff and everyone at the U.S. Soccer Federation.”
GO DEEPER
How the USWNT lured Emma Hayes away from Chelsea: Inside the near $2 million deal
The federation, which signed collective bargaining agreements guaranteeing equal pay for its men’s and women’s senior national team players in 2022, will bring Hayes’ salary in line with that of USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter. His annual pay was listed at $1.6million (£1.3m) in the USSF’s 2022 financial filings and he is expected to have received a rise after signing a new deal earlier this year.
The USSF revealed that Hayes had been appointed after an exhaustive process, led by sporting director Matt Crocker, which included giving candidates psychometric and abstract reasoning tests.
Advertisement
Hayes had refused to comment directly on the USWNT job after her impending Chelsea departure was confirmed, but cited family reasons and a desire to leave at the top for her exit, adding that she had “dedicated my life to this place”.
She will leave with Chelsea’s blessing and the west London club have not requested compensation from the USSF in return for her completing the season on an exclusive basis.
Hayes will be closely involved in appointing her club successor and Chelsea are also keen to explore how her international role may offer new growth opportunities.
Twila Kilgore became the USWNT interim head coach following Vlatko Andonovski’s resignation in August, following his side’s round-of-16 exit at the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Kilgore will continue to lead the USWNT until Hayes takes over.
The 2023-24 WSL season concludes on May 18, 2024 and the women’s football tournaments at the Paris Olympics are scheduled to take place between July 24 and August 10.
Emma Hayes has enjoyed a trophy-laden reign at Chelsea since arriving in 2012 (Getty Images)Emma Hayes managerial honours
Women's Super League | 6 | 2015, 2017-18, 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23 |
Women's FA Cup | 5 | 2014-15, 2017-18, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23 |
Women's League Cup | 2 | 2019-20, 2020-21 |
WSL Spring Series | 1 | 2017 |
Women's Community Shield | 1 | 2020 |
How Hayes’ tactical flexibility can benefit USWNT
Analysis from The Athletic’s Jeff Rueter
U.S. Soccer polled players during the coaching search following Vlatko Andonovski’s departure and much of the focus from the tactical feedback involved building the attack, playing through the midfield and having “creative solutions in tight spaces, having the players and the tactics to beat the low block.”
If any team is accustomed to facing a low block, it’s Hayes’ Chelsea. She plans for the opponent rather than coaching from dogmatic principles, which may help the U.S. program rebound from its least successful cycle in history. Between sizing up her opponents’ weak points and assessing her own squad’s readiness, each game’s instructions are curated with one aim in mind: winning, above all else.
Advertisement
Hayes has found success with a variety of structures. Over the last few years, Chelsea has spent multiple matches lined up in a 4-2-3-1, 4-3-3, 5-2-1-2, 3-4-3, and 3-4-1-2. If the referee blows their whistle and she doesn’t like the tactical matchup, Hayes is quick to pivot to Plan B, even if it means switching from a back four to a back three in the opening minutes.
Hayes’ fluidity should be a needed salve as the program acclimates to the continually growing number of competitive peers in the international game — something Hayes knows well.
GO DEEPER
How Emma Hayes' winning ways at Chelsea can benefit USWNT on the field
Hayes renowned for her personalised player management
Analysis from The Athletic’s Jessy Parker Humphreys
Hayes’ squad management is second to none.
From her time at Chelsea, she is adept at dealing with multiple high-profile personalities in a dressing room. She has also seen players flourish under her watchful eye. Under Hayes’ tutelage, players such as England captain Millie Bright have developed into one of the best in the world, while you can always rely on her to spring a positional surprise. Niamh Charles’ development from an exciting but raw winger into a composed full-back is just one of many examples.
The close relationship Hayes has with her players is clear to see, and it has been a key factor in Chelsea’s successful recruitment in recent years.
GO DEEPER
The USWNT are hiring a serial winner in Emma Hayes - a coach with unfinished business in the U.S.
(Photo: Tom Dulat/Getty Images)
ncG1vNJzZmismJqutbTLnquim16YvK57lGlqa2xlaXxzfJFsZmppX2aBcLHMpphmoJGusrR51Kyup6xdnbKisIycppqbmGQ%3D