Haley Carter Departs the Orlando Pride

In a surprising move, the Orlando Pride announced today that Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director Haley Carter is leaving the club to pursue new opportunities. Carter was an integral part of the club’s success during her three-year tenure, architecting the 2024 NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship and bringing in star players like Barbra Banda and Jacquie Ovalle, two of the four largest transfers in league history.

The former Houston Dash goalkeeper joined the Pride as vice president and general manager on Jan. 30, 2023, becoming the first person to hold that position and following Ian Fleming as GM. She signed a new contract that was supposed to keep her in Orlando through 2026 with an option year for 2027 just over a year ago on Aug. 30, 2024.

Carter became an accomplished business executive, coach, licensed attorney, and former U.S. Marine officer following her playing career. She is a certified professional football scout, holding Level I and II Talent Identification certification through the Professional Football Scouts Association. Carter brought a level of professionalism and experience to a Pride club that needed to turn things around, and that is exactly what she did, helping create a new club culture.

With the NWSL’s mandatory 28-day minimum break period starting, Carter and the club did not want the players hearing about the decision from anyone else and held a team call to let them know.

“We’d like to extend our gratitude to Haley for her contributions to the Pride over the past three years,” Orlando Pride Owner and Chairman Mark Wilf said in a club press release. “Haley played a key leadership role with our club, positioning the Pride among the NWSL’s and world’s elite clubs. Our family is incredibly excited about the future of the Pride and we look forward to continuing our commitment to invest in world-class players and building teams that continually compete for championships and positively represent Orlando and our supporters.”

“I’m beyond thankful to Mark Wilf and the entire ownership group for giving me the opportunity to be part of this club and for their unwavering support throughout my time here,” Carter said in the club’s release. “The Wilf family’s continued investment in this team, both on and off the field, is a reflection of their genuine belief in the Pride’s potential and in the future of women’s soccer. Their commitment to leading a world-class club is the foundation for continued success.

In her time here, Carter also made it a habit to lock down players to new contracts before those contracts ended to keep the team’s core together, maintaining continuity and building a leadership group. Obviously, her biggest accomplishment was building the team that won the NWSL double in 2024.

“We have begun a diligent and methodical search for a new soccer leader who will have the opportunity to work with a championship-caliber roster and coaching staff,” Wilf said in the club’s release. “Combined with our clear vision for the future and positive club culture, I am confident that the Pride is well positioned to continue its trajectory of success.”

Per the club, Carter will work with management to ensure a seamless transition.

What it means for Orlando

The phrase “to pursue new opportunities” in the club’s press release leads one to believe Carter already has her next gig lined up. If that’s within the NWSL, it’ll be a hard pill to swallow for Pride fans. We’ll have to wait for news on that.

Losing Carter is obviously a blow to the club, and it won’t be easy to find a replacement. Whoever comes in will need to maintain and build on the solid foundation Carter leaves behind. The Pride went from being a bottom-of-the-table team for whom players didn’t want to play to one of the more attractive destinations in the NWSL. While average players used to seek trades away from Orlando, now the club can, and has, make record transfers to the Pride happen.

Along with ownership, Head Coach Seb Hines and his staff, and the front office, she created a culture that values the players while remaining focused on winning.

It now falls to President of Business Operations Jarrod Dillon, his staff, and ownership to find the person to take the Pride back to the promised land. The organization is in a better place now than when Carter arrived. This is a position that needs to be filled, but bringing in the right person — even if it takes a little longer — is more important than filling it quickly. That said, the off-season will require some new pieces be brought in and some contract decisions that still need to be made, and someone will need to make those — likely before Carter’s replacement arrives.