USWNT coach Jill Ellis on ending tenure after back-to-back World Cup triumphs: 'The timing is right'

(Image credit: Elsa/Getty Images)

published 30 July 2019

Jill Ellis, the coach of the U.S. Women's National soccer team, is stepping down, U.S. Soccer announced Tuesday.

Ellis led the team to two consecutive Women's World Cup championships since taking the post in 2014, and will remain with the team as they complete their current World Cup victory tour, which ends in October.

Ellis' contract was set to expire July 31, and she hadn't commented on her future, leading to speculation of her departure, though many expected her to coach the USWNT at least through the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. "When I accepted the head coaching position this was the timeframe I envisioned," Ellis said. "The timing is right to move on and the program is positioned to remain at the pinnacle of women's soccer."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.

Subscribe to The Week

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox