The day after the Orlando Pride fired head coach Seb Hines, which was two days after a 2-1 loss to the Utah Royals at Inter.co Stadium that dropped Orlando to 8-12-2 on the season, the team was working on a path forward.
“Difficult days and decision for our club the last 24 hours,” Pride VP of Soccer Operations & General Manager Caitlin Carducci said on Tuesday. “First, I want to reiterate and express and acknowledge our gratitude to Seb and (goalkeeping coach Paul Crichton) for everything that they brought to this club during their tenure.
“The decision to part ways was not an easy outcome for us to reach, but ultimately, as we evaluate the health of the club, where we are, and where we want to be, we felt this was the right moment to conclude what has been a very significant chapter in our club’s history.”
Interim head coach Yolanda Thomas takes over with eight games remaining and the Pride 12th in the 16-team NWSL, five points below the playoff line. Orlando has lost four of the past five matches.
Thomas has been an assistant with the Pride since 2023 and served as head coach of the U-23 U.S. Women’s Youth National Team during two camps in 2025.
“Yolanda Thomas is a fantastic coach, fantastic human, great ambassador for our club, and has been here, knows our players, and in this moment, knows what they need, and not only what they need to manage and process the decision, but also to set them up for success as we finish out the season,” Carducci said.
The club believes it has the resources to win, and Thomas will be expected to push the team toward a playoff spot this year.
“There’s plenty of games to be played. There’s plenty of points to go hunt and wins to to find. We hope that (Yolanda) will bring some belief to our group,” Carducci continued. “We know that we have the talent that can compete at the highest levels in this league, and we believe that Yolanda can bring that out of our team, and help us put on a performance worthy of what we have available from a talent standpoint.”
Hines was the first Black head coach in NWSL history, and he won the NWSL Shield, NWSL Championship and NWSL Coach of the Year award in 2024.
He took over as interim head coach in June 2022 after former coach Amanda Cromwell was placed on administrative leave for alleged retaliation in violation of the NWSL Policy to Prevent and Eliminate Workplace Discrimination, Harassment and Bullying. Hines was hired permanently that November.
Crichton was also let go on Monday.
“I have great respect for (Seb). I know how much he’s meant to this organization well beyond my tenure here. I also know how much the club means to him personally, both as a player with City and obviously his time on the coaching staff of the Pride,” Carducci added. “He handled it in a manner in which you would expect for someone that has that type of reverence for the organization.”
Thomas’ first match in charge is this Sunday at home against the Houston Dash.