After 15 games as head coach, the Utah Royals have dismissed Amy Rodriguez with 11 games left in the season.
Currently, the team is in last place in the NWSL with one game to play before the league pauses for the Paris Olympics. Jimmy Coenraets, who was recently appointed an assistant coach, will serve as interim head coach while leadership searches for a permanent replacement.
Goalkeeper coach Maryse Bard-Martel has also been released from her position, while the team president Michelle Hyncik has been reassigned to a legal role within the family’s front office.
“This expansion season has been full of lessons and learnings, and we are now focused on reorganizing leadership efforts on and off the pitch,” acting Royals’ operations leader and Real Salt Lake president John Kimball said in an official team statement. “We are grateful and appreciative of Amy, Michelle, and Maryse and their efforts in helping re-introduce the Royals to Utah’s incredible fans and the international soccer community.
“We believe women’s sports are a vital part of Utah’s culture. Our club and ownership group are committed to delivering a product our fans will be proud of. While we have faced adversity this season, we are focused on building a team off and on the field that can compete at the highest levels for years to come.”
Former USWNT star Rodriguez, who played for the Royals from 2018 through 2020, came on as the team’s first head coach after an assistant coaching stint at USC. Utah returned to the NWSL this season as an expansion team after being moved to Kansas City at the end of 2020.
The Royals have conceded a league-worst 27 goals so far this season while scoring just seven of their own.
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