FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football – Women’s World Cup – United States Press Conference – Groupama Stadium, Lyon, France – July 6, 2019 coach of the U.S. Jill Ellis during the press conference REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo/File Photo
July 30, 2019
(Reuters) – Jill Ellis, who became the first female coach in history to win back-to-back World Cups, will step down as boss of the U.S. women’s national team in early October, U.S. Soccer said on Tuesday.
Ellis, 52, who steered the U.S. to a record-extending fourth World Cup title in France earlier this month, said her decision to step down after the team’s victory tour was in line with the timeline she envisioned when she was first appointed in May 2014.
“The opportunity to coach this team and work with these amazing women has been the honor of a lifetime,” Ellis, who won 102 of her 127 matches in charge, said in a statement.
“I want to thank and praise them for their commitment and passion to not only win championships but also raise the profile of this sport globally while being an inspiration to those who will follow them.”
At this year’s World Cup in France, Ellis guided her side to victory in each of their seven games in what was arguably the greatest achievement in the team’s history, three years after they missed out on a medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
At the end of 2015, Ellis, who won eight tournaments with the U.S. including her two World Cup titles, was named the FIFA World Coach of the Year and CONCACAF Coach of the Year for Women’s Soccer.
Ellis will continue on with U.S. Soccer for at least the next year as an ambassador, which will include representing the Federation at events.
U.S. Soccer President Carlos Cordeiro said the governing body and the sport of soccer in general owes Ellis a debt of gratitude for all that she has done for the game.
“Jill was always extremely passionate about this team, analytical, tremendously focused and not afraid to make tough decisions while giving her players the freedom to play to their strengths,” Cordeiro said in a statement.
“She helped raise the bar for women’s soccer in the USA and the world, and given the history of this program, the level of success she achieved is even more remarkable.”
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Peter Graff and Toby Davis)
