SEB HINES PHOTO VIA ORLANDO CITY
The Orlando Pride have parted ways with head coach Seb Hines, effective immediately, with assistant coach Yolanda Thomas stepping in as interim head coach.
Goalkeeper coach Paul Crichton is also leaving the club alongside Hines. Crichton joined the Pride staff ahead of the 2023 season.
The move comes with Orlando sitting 12th in the 16-team NWSL standings at 8-12-2, five points outside the final playoff spot with eight matches left in the regular season. The Pride have lost four of their last five games.
Pride vice president of soccer operations and general manager Caitlin Carducci said the club is grateful for the dedication, leadership, and professionalism Hines brought during his time with the team, and that he will always hold a special place in franchise history for helping the Pride reach new heights. Owner and chairman Mark Wilf echoed that sentiment, saying Hines’ commitment to players and staff helped deliver some of the most important moments in club history and helped build a culture that raised expectations for the organization.
Hines first took over the Pride as interim head coach in June 2022 after Amanda Cromwell was placed on administrative leave, then signed a multi-year deal to remove the interim tag that November. He became the NWSL’s first Black head coach at the time of that promotion, and later became the first Black head coach in the league to win a trophy when he led Orlando to the 2024 NWSL Shield. He completed the domestic double that year by winning the NWSL Championship and was named 2024 NWSL Coach of the Year.
Thomas has been on the Pride’s coaching staff since 2023. She also served as head coach of the U.S. Under-23 Women’s Youth National Team during two training camps in 2025. Carducci said Thomas is a strong coach who knows the players and what they need to close out the season.
The Pride have not announced a timeline for naming a permanent head coach.
