The Utah Royals made some huge adjustments this weekend, firing head coach Amy Rodriguez and goalkeeper coach Maryse Bard-Martel on Sunday, in line with a staff press launch.
Per the discharge, the staff can be letting go of staff president Michelle Hyncik, who will “start transitioning to a brand new alternative” inside the workplace of staff proprietor David Blitzer. Assistant coach Jimmy Coenraets will function interim head coach for the rest of the season.
AMY RODRIGUEZ FIRED AS UTAH’S HEAD COACH 🚨
Former USWNT & NWSL ahead leaves enlargement staff Utah Royals with a file of 2W-11L-2D sitting final within the standings in her first season.
GK coach Maryse Bard-Martel & president Michelle Hyncik had been additionally fired from their roles. 😳 pic.twitter.com/MMBIgP0QCK
— The Ladies’s Sport (@WomensGameMIB) June 30, 2024
Utah at the moment sits on the backside of the NWSL desk with 11 losses. Worse, the staff has an actual drawback with scoring and getting scored on: The Royals have solely scored seven targets this season, by far the bottom within the league, whereas additionally permitting a league-high 27 targets.
Sunday’s announcement, nonetheless, comes on the heels of a 0-0 draw to the Portland Thorns, pulling a degree in opposition to a stable opponent in one of many staff’s strongest video games this season.
Rodriguez, a former NWSL ahead in her first teaching job, turns into the second coach fired this week after San Diego Wave FC let head coach Casey Stoney go final Monday. On the identical day, the overall supervisor of enlargement staff Bay FC, Lucy Rushton, resigned unexpectedly, marking an uncommon cluster of dismissals a little bit greater than midway by way of the season.
The Royals have 11 matches remaining within the season, together with video games in opposition to powerful opponents just like the Kansas Metropolis Present and NJ/NY Gotham FC. A playoff run could be extremely surprising at this level, however Royals administration clearly believed that Rodriguez, Bard-Martel and Hyncik couldn’t get Utah there.
