ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Pride have taken the interim label off Yolanda Thomas. The club announced Thursday that Thomas will stay on as head coach under a multiyear contract, making her the fifth permanent head coach the team has had.
The decision is a milestone for the National Women’s Soccer League. Thomas became the first Black woman to coach an NWSL team when she took over on an interim basis in August, and she is now the first to hold the job permanently. She stepped in after Seb Hines left the club. Hines himself broke a barrier in Orlando as the league’s first Black head coach after the Pride promoted him following the 2022 season.
Thomas arrived as an assistant before the 2023 season and was on the staff during the most successful stretch in club history, which brought Orlando an NWSL Shield and the 2024 league championship, the city’s first major pro sports title. The Pride struggled this year, though, going 11-16-3 and failing to reach the postseason.
Owner Mark Wilf said the search made clear that Thomas had the leadership, experience and character to guide the club forward. General manager Caitlin Carducci pointed to her tactical skill and the trust she has built with players and staff over several seasons. Thomas said she sees room for the Pride to become a global leader in the women’s game.
A native of Sweden, Thomas played college soccer at Oklahoma State and later played professionally in her home country. Before Orlando she was a head coach at Rogers State in Oklahoma and held leadership roles with women’s amateur clubs in Tulsa. She has also run two U.S. Under-23 women’s national team camps and holds a USSF A License while working toward her Pro License.
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