Emma Hayes has been confirmed as the new head coach of the United States Women’s National Team.
Hayes, 47, has signed a contract 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 begin her new role next May in time for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Chelsea announced Hayes’ departure on Saturday and The Athletic reported shortly after that she would be taking the USWNT job.
The US 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 everyone around her.
“She has enormous energy and an insatiable will to win. Her experience in the United States, her understanding of our soccer landscape and her understanding of what it means to coach this team make her the ideal fit for this role and we couldn’t be happier to have her leading our women’s national team forward.”
Hayes, who led Chelsea to six WSL titles, said: “It’s a huge honor to be given the opportunity to coach the most incredible team in the history of world football.” The feelings and connection I have for this team and that this land cherishes are deep. I have dreamed of coaching the USA for a long time and getting this opportunity is a dream come true.
“I know there is still a lot to do to achieve our goal of consistently winning at the highest level. Getting there will require commitment, dedication and collaboration from the players, staff and everyone at the U.S. Soccer Federation.”
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The association, which signed collective bargaining agreements in 2022 guaranteeing equal pay for its senior men and women players, will align Hayes’ salary with that of USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter. His annual salary was listed in the USSF’s 2022 financial records at $1.6 million (£1.3 million) and he is expected to have received a raise after signing a new contract earlier this year.
The USSF announced that Hayes had been appointed after an extensive process led by athletic director Matt Crocker, which included psychometric and abstract reasoning tests for the candidates.
Hayes had declined to comment directly on the USWNT job after her impending departure from Chelsea was confirmed, but cited family reasons and a desire to go to the top for her departure, adding that she “wants my life “dedicated to this place.”
She will leave with Chelsea’s blessing and the west London club have not demanded any compensation from the USSF in return for her finishing the season on an exclusive basis.
Hayes will be closely involved in the appointment of her club’s successor and Chelsea are also keen to explore how her international role could provide new growth opportunities.
Twila Kilgore became interim coach of the USWNT after Vlatko Andonovski resigned in August after his team was eliminated in the round of 16 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 ends 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 tenure at Chelsea since arriving in 2012 (Getty Images)
Emma Hayes Manager Award
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 sign | 1 | 2020 |
How Hayes’ tactical flexibility can benefit the USWNT
Analysis by Jeff Rueter of The Athletic
US Soccer interviewed players during the coaching search following the departure of Vlatko Andonovski. The focus of the tactical feedback was primarily on building the attack, playing through the midfield and finding “creative solutions in tight spaces, as well as providing players and tactics to beat the bottom block.”
If any team is used to facing a low block, it’s Hayes’ Chelsea. It plans for the enemy rather than training according to dogmatic principles, which could help the U.S. program recover from its weakest cycle in history. Between assessing their opponents’ vulnerabilities and assessing their own team’s readiness, the instructions for each game are put together with one goal in mind: above all, to win.
Hayes has had success with a variety of structures. In recent years, Chelsea have played several games in a 4-2-3-1, 4-3-3, 5-2-1-2, 3-4-3 and 3-4-1 system. 2. If the referee blows the whistle and she doesn’t like the tactical play, Hayes quickly moves to Plan B, even if that means switching from a back four to a back three in the first few minutes.
Hayes’ flexibility should be a necessary saving grace as the program adjusts to the ever-increasing number of competing players in the international game – something Hayes knows well.
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How Emma Hayes’ wins at Chelsea can benefit USWNT on the pitch
Hayes is known for her personal player management
Analysis by Jessy Parker Humphreys of The Athletic
Hayes’ squad management is second to none.
Since her time at Chelsea, she has mastered how to deal with several high-profile figures in a dressing room. She has also seen players thrive under her watchful eye. Under Hayes’ tutelage, players like England captain Millie Bright have become one of the best in the world and can always be counted on to pull off a positional surprise. Niamh Charles’ evolution from exciting but raw winger to composed full-back is just one of many examples.
The close relationship Hayes has with her players is clear to see and has been a key factor in Chelsea’s successful recruitment in recent years.
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The USWNT is hiring a serial winner in Emma Hayes – a coach with unfinished business in the United States
(Photo: Tom Dulat/Getty Images)