The Utah Royals made big changes this weekend, firing coach Amy Rodriguez and goaltending coach Maryse Bard-Martel on Sunday, according to a team report. Press release.
According to the statement, the team is also terminating team president Michelle Hyncik, who will “begin the transition to a new opportunity” within team owner David Blitzer’s office. Assistant coach Jimmy Coenraets will serve as interim head coach for the remainder of the season.
AMY RODRIGUEZ FIRED AS UTAH’S HEAD COACH
The former USWNT and NWSL forward leaves expansion team Utah Royals with a 2W-11L-2D record and sits last in the standings in her first season.
GK coach Maryse Bard-Martel and president Michelle Hyncik were also fired from their positions. image.twitter.com/MMBIgP0QCK
— Women’s Game (@WomensGameMIB) June 30, 2024
Utah currently sits in last place in the NWSL standings with 11 losses. Worse, the team has a real problem with scoring and conceding goals: the Royals have only scored seven goals this season, by far the fewest in the league, while also allowing a league-high 27 goals.
Sunday’s announcement, however, comes on the heels of a 0-0 draw against the Portland Thorns, earning a point against a solid opponent in one of the team’s toughest games this season.
Rodriguez, a former NWSL forward in her first coaching job, becomes the second coach fired this week after San Diego Wave FC fired head coach Casey Stoney last Monday. On the same day, Bay FC expansion team general manager Lucy Rushton resigned unexpectedlymarking an unusual group of dismissals just over halfway through the season.
The Royals have 11 games left in the season, including games against tough opponents like Kansas City Current and NJ/NY Gotham FC. A playoff run would be highly unexpected at this point, but Royals management clearly believed that Rodriguez, Bard-Martel and Hyncik couldn’t get Utah there.
