The Southeast is a relatively untapped area for the NWSL. Despite this, there are a few clubs holding it down for this region of the country. As the standings sit for the 2026 season, all three of these clubs are in the mix for playoff spots, and could secure successful seasons depending on their play down the stretch.
These three clubs share the fact that they are led by three coaches with extensive experience as players. While this is the case with many managers across the NWSL, these three teams have three men at the helm that are using their respective playing careers from different nations around the world to hopefully propel their teams to the top of the mountain.
Seb Hines – Orlando Pride
The Orlando Pride are nearly two years removed from their NWSL Championship in 2024. That season was monumental for the club as it was not only their first championship, but also their first ever playoff appearance. 2025 didn’t end with a championship, but it was more winning soccer for the club, due in large part to Seb Hines, the man at the helm for Orlando.
Hines has serious Orlando roots, having spent three years of his playing career with Orlando City in the MLS. Before that, he had spent a decade playing for Middlesbrough, not far from his hometown of Wetherby. After his retirement from playing in 2017, Hines remained in Orlando, in which he would serve in various roles before eventually landing the manager job with the Pride.
Since his hiring in 2022, the Orlando fans have been treated to that aforementioned championship, as well as another playoff run last season. While the 2026 season has been a mixed bag thus far for Hines and his squad, the Pride stay firmly entrenched in the playoff mix, as they look for their second championship in three seasons.
Fabrice Gautrat – Houston Dash
Right alongside Orlando in the standings are the Houston Dash. It hasn’t exactly been glorious these past few seasons for Houston, but it is the California-native Fabrice Gautrat who they are entrusting to bring a new era of soccer to H-Town.
Gautrat is also a former player, having played for various clubs across the U.S. and France, including a season not far from home with the Orange County Blues. Quickly, it became apparent that Gautrat would have a future in coaching, which came to fruition when he took the head coaching job with Chicago FC United’s Girls program.
In just a few years, Gautrat would work his way up to an assistant coaching position with the Chicago Stars. Then, after a pair of seasons of assistant coaching in North Carolina with the Courage, Gautrat landed the job of manager in Houston in 2024.
It was a nightmare of a 2024 season for the Dash, and Gautrat was brought in to turn the ship around. 2025 ended up being slightly better, but this 2026 season has great potential to be Houston’s first playoff appearance since 2022 and Gautrat’s best shot at putting himself on the map as a manager.
Mak Lind – North Carolina Courage
The North Carolina Courage are one of the more storied franchises in the NWSL. However, a tumultuous 2025 season left a vacancy as manager, in which Mak Lind jumped on the opportunity to take his coaching abilities to the NWSL.
Following the theme, Lind had a lengthy playing career, having well over 200 appearances, most of which coming in Sweden, the country Lind called home following his move from his home country of Lebanon. After a 17-year career which even included a handful of appearances for the Lebanese national team, Lind entered the coaching fold.
After some time in which Lind juggled playing and coaching at the same time, he eventually landed as the manager of the BK Häcken women’s team. Here, he would have great success, and even lead the club to a championship in Sweden before making the move to the NWSL for the 2026 season.
Now, Lind is in his first season managing the Courage, being only the third head coach in the club’s history. Despite a somewhat up-and-down start to the season, the Courage is right there on the cusp of the playoff mix. Lind will look to lead the squad back to the playoffs, and even perhaps its first championship since 2019.
Featured Image via @olpride
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