World Cup-Winning Coach Jill Ellis Leaving Women's Soccer Team

Ellis, who led the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team to back-to-back wins, says the time is right to move on.

Tracy E. Gilchrist

Tracy E. Gilchrist is the VP of Editorial and Special Projects at equalpride. A media veteran, she writes about the intersections of LGBTQ+ equality and pop culture. Previously, she was the editor-in-chief of The Advocate and the first feminism editor for the 55-year-old brand. In 2017, she launched the company's first podcast, The Advocates. She is an experienced broadcast interviewer, panel moderator, and public speaker who has delivered her talk, "Pandora's Box to Pose: Game-changing Visibility in Film and TV," at universities throughout the country.

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Tracy E. Gilchrist

July 30 2019 2:08 PM EST

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The coach who led the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team to back-to-back World Cup wins, Jill Ellis, is stepping down this October.

Ellis, who coached the USWNT to a World Cup win in France earlier this summer amid a media firestorm over disparaging tweets Donald Trump aimed at co-captain Megan Rapinoe, will go on to become an "ambassador" for the sporting federation after she exits as the team's coach in October.

"When I accepted the head coaching position this was the timeframe I envisioned," Ellis said, according to NPR.

"The opportunity to coach this team and work with these amazing women has been the honor of a lifetime," Ellis said. "I want to thank and praise them for their commitment and passion to not only win championships but also raise the profile of this sport globally while being an inspiration to those who will follow them."

Ellis, 52, has coached the USWNT for five years beginning in 2014. Under her leadership, the team won 102 matches and lost seven.

"The timing is right to move on and the program is positioned to remain at the pinnacle of women's soccer. Change is something I have always embraced in my life and for me and my family this is the right moment."

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\u201cFor everything she has done and everything she has meant to this program we say, THANK YOU \u2764\ufe0f\n\nJill Ellis will step down as #USWNT head coach in October.\n\n#ThankYouJill: https://t.co/5I3dwtQXIo\u201d
— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@U.S. Women's National Soccer Team) 1564510823

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of really great Jill moments out there, but this one gets us every time \ud83d\ude2d #ThankYouJill\u201d
— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@U.S. Women's National Soccer Team) 1564510823

\u201cBTW, can we take a sec to talk about these \ud83d\udd25 stats? \n\n102 Wins. Seven losses. S E V E N. \ud83e\udd2f\n\n#ThankYouJill: https://t.co/5I3dwtQXIo\u201d
— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@U.S. Women's National Soccer Team) 1564510823