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SALT LAKE CITY — Former Utah Royals and U.S. women's national team player Amy Rodriguez will be the first head coach for the returning Royals, ESPN reported on Wednesday.
KSL.com confirm the report.
The team told local media the new head coach announcement would take place on Thursday morning, but the name was not included. Rodriguez's hire comes three years after her departure from Utah and almost one year ahead of the Royals' return to NWSL play.
Utah Soccer LLC, led by Ryan Smith and David Blitzer, announced the return of the Royals last month at America First Field, with new president Michelle Hyncik hinting at staff announcements to come soon after.
Rodriguez spent the last year as an assistant coach at USC, her alma mater, and now returns to Utah after serving as captain of the Utah Royals from 2018-20.
She spent nine years in the NWSL, finishing her career with the North Carolina Courage in 2021, and she becomes the first former NWSL player to be hired as a head coach in the league.
"The moment that the Royals organization gave me the phone call, I had the butterflies in my stomach," Rodriguez told ESPN. "I was so excited to potentially go back to a club that I had so much enjoyment to play for. … But this obviously is a much different role, one that is a bit daunting. And I'm not gonna lie. I'm nervous about the task at hand. But it's an exciting time, too. So I'm like, rolling my sleeves up, ready to go."
ESPN reporting that Amy Rodriguez will be the new @UtahRoyalsFC head coach. Announcement was expected tomorrow morning. https://t.co/zHnqI0aBRJ
— Caleb Turner (@calebturner23) April 19, 2023
According to ESPN, Rodriguez and Hyncik knew each other from high school in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, where they played soccer together.
"Empowering women both on and off the field has been an underlying driving force throughout the journey of our Return of Royalty," Hyncik said in a release. "Amy's commitment to excellence, winning, community and family aligns with our Utah Royals' creed and we are honored to have her at the helm to lead us into the next era."
In addition to her club experience, Rodriguez made 132 appearances for the U.S. national team from 2005-2018, giving her crucial connections in bringing star talent back to Utah. Rodriguez was one of four national team members in the last iteration of the Royals, playing alongside Becky Sauerbrunn, Kelley O'Hara and Christen Press.
Rodriguez had a fruitful playing career, winning a national championship during her time at USC, two NWSL championships with FC Kansas City and a World Cup with the U.S. in 2015.
The Royals will be her first head coaching experience after just one season as an assistant at USC. More details are expected at the official announcement on Thursday.
