Orlando Pride Sign Head Coach Seb Hines Through 2027

The Orlando Pride have announced that the club has reached an agreement with Head Coach Seb Hines on a new contract through 2026 with an option for 2027. The former Orlando City center back and Pride assistant is in his second full season as the Pride boss, leading the team to its best season in team history.

“Seb has done a tremendous job leading the Orlando Pride since taking over as head coach in 2022, and we are very excited to reward him with a new contract with the club,” Pride Chairman Mark Wilf said in a club press release. “Bringing valuable experience from his time as both a player and a coach, Seb has elevated this team and helped build one of the most exciting squads in NWSL history. We are excited to continue working with Seb as our goals for the Pride continue to rise, and we are thrilled to have him at the helm for the foreseeable future.”

“I couldn’t be more excited to continue this journey with Seb. What we are building here in Orlando is special, and we have a shared vision to make the Pride a perennial contender and model sporting organization in the global soccer landscape,” Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Haley Carter added about the extension. “Seb has helped build one of the hardest working and most cohesive locker rooms I’ve seen in my career, and I’m thankful for the teamwork and collaboration he fosters every day with both our athletes and our staff. He always strives to set new standards, on and off the pitch and inspires others around him to do the same. I look forward to supporting his growth as a professional and seeing all the club accomplishes under his leadership.”

Hines initially joined the Orlando City organization in 2015 on loan from Middlesborough during the club’s inaugural MLS season. After spending three seasons on the field, he volunteered to be a Pride assistant under former head coach Tom Sermanni. Following Sermanni’s departure, new head coach Marc Skinner made Hines a permanent assistant on May 29, 2020.

The arrival of Amanda Cromwell in 2022 saw a new coaching staff enter the picture with Hines being the only carryover. Cromwell and assistant Sam Greene were placed on administrative leave on June 7, 2022 for alleged retaliation and the other two assistants — Michelle Akers and Aline Villares Reis — took paid time off. As a result, Hines was named interim head coach for the remainder of the 2022 NWSL season.

After losing his first two games in charge, the Pride went on a seven-game unbeaten run. A four-game losing streak down the stretch saw their playoff chances dissipate, but the performances and the players’ trust of Hines made him an easy choice as new head coach when Cromwell was banned by the league, giving him the permanent job on Nov. 11, 2022.

Over the past two seasons, the 36-year-old Wetherby, England native has compiled a 21-11-6 record in NWSL regular-season games. Last year, his first full season in charge, the Pride narrowly missed out on the postseason, falling on goal differential to Angel City FC for the final playoff spot. It would’ve been the club’s first time in the NWSL playoffs since 2017.

This year, the Pride have remained unbeaten through the first 16 games of the NWSL season, including an eight-game winning streak that set a new NWSL record. Their 2-1 win over fellow unbeatens, the Kansas City Current, on July 6 was their 17th straight result dating back to last year, tying the Current’s regular-season league record. Despite losing seven players and six starters to the Olympics, the Pride drew all three games in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup, stretching their unbeaten run this year in all competitions to 19 games.

Hines has an NWSL regular-season record of 24-18-11 (83 points) in 53 games as Pride head coach. He’s one win and six points behind Sermanni as the team’s most successful head coach despite coaching 15 fewer games.

“First of all, thank you to the Wilf family, who have put their trust in me and given me the opportunity to lead this team, going back to 2022 when I started off as an interim head coach,” Hines said in the club’s press release. “I’m proud of what we have accomplished to this point, but our work isn’t done yet. At the end of the day, we want to win something. We want to build a legacy here. We want to give back to the community and make sure that fans are wanting to come watch this group of athletes go out there and perform every week. I’m excited to continue leading this club and to continue giving back to a city that means so much to me and my family.”

Prior to joining Orlando City in 2015, Hines was a center back in the English leagues. He began his professional career at Middlesbrough FC before playing at Derby County, Oldham Athletic, and Coventry City. In three seasons with the Lions, Hines made 59 appearances (53 starts) and recorded 4,893 minutes. He scored five goals and had a memorable four-goal game against Brazilian side Bahia in a 2016 preseason friendly clash.

What This Means for Orlando

This extension is the least surprising news you’ll see from the club this season. Hines and Carter have made an excellent team, guiding the Pride through the final stages of their rebuild, and have the team leading the NWSL this year. The Pride only have two fewer points than the team record of 40 set in 2017 and have done it in eight fewer games with 10 matches remaining in the season.

While it’s clear the Pride want Hines to remain as head coach, the Englishman hasn’t shied away from sharing his desire to remain in Orlando. He’s been a part of the club since 2015 and the Pride since 2018, building his life with his family in the City Beautiful.

When Cromwell was suspended in 2022, there was a clear change in how the players saw the coaching staff. Along with friend, assistant, and fellow former Lion Giles Barnes, the players that year bought into Hines’ vision. While the players rarely spoke to the media about the previous coaching staff, they frequently repeated Hines’ and Barnes’ messages, something the current team has done.

Hines has done a tremendous job with the Pride, lifting them last year to their best season since 2017. They’ve improved this season, already passing their 2023 point total and proving themselves as legitimate contenders for the NWSL Shield and NWSL Cup. The next step is to begin winning trophies, something that has eluded the Pride in their nine-year existence.

Seb Hines’ Coaching Record at Orlando Pride (W-L-D)

• National Women’s Soccer League regular season: 53 games, 24-18-11
• NWSL Challenge Cup: 6 games, 0-4-2
• NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup: 3 games, 0-0-3
• Total: 59 games coached, 24-22-13