Twila Kilgore Named Interim Coach of U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team
Twila Kilgore has been appointed as the interim coach of the U.S. women’s national soccer team after coach Vlatko Andonovski’s resignation, the U.S. Soccer Federation announced on Thursday. Kilgore, the first American-born woman to earn U.S. Soccer’s top-level Pro License, previously served as an assistant under Andonovski for 1 1/2 years. She will lead the team while the search for a permanent coach is conducted.
Andonovski’s resignation comes shortly after the United States’ disappointing performance in the Women’s World Cup. The team was eliminated earlier than ever before. Reflecting on his time as coach, Andonovski expressed pride in the team’s progress and the support they showed for each other. He thanked the U.S. Soccer Federation for the opportunity to coach such a remarkable team.
Prior to joining the national team, Kilgore worked as an assistant coach with the Houston Dash in the National Women’s Soccer League and was involved with various U.S. youth women’s national teams. She also has 15 years of experience in the college game, including a head coaching job at UC-Davis and an assistant position at Pepperdine.
Kilgore’s first task as interim coach will be leading the U.S. team in a pair of exhibition matches against South Africa on September 21 in Cincinnati and September 24 in Chicago.
During the World Cup, the U.S. team struggled throughout the tournament. They managed to secure a victory over Vietnam in the group stage but could only draw against the Netherlands and Portugal. Despite reaching the knockout stage, the team fell to Sweden on penalties after a scoreless tie. The United States scored only four goals throughout the tournament, marking their worst performance in World Cup history.
U.S. Soccer Sporting Director Matt Crocker, who was appointed in April, will lead the search for a new coach. Crocker has initiated a comprehensive analysis of the women’s program to ensure the team remains competitive. He is determined to continue evolving and innovating in order to shape a successful future for the team.
Andonovski, 46, took over as coach of the United States in October 2019, succeeding Jill Ellis. Under his tenure, the team had an overall record of 51-5-9 and a record of 3-2-5 in major tournaments.
U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone expressed gratitude to Andonovski for his dedication to the Women’s National Team and wished him well in his future endeavors. The United States also had a disappointing performance at the Tokyo Olympics, finishing with a bronze medal. Andonovski had shifted his focus to developing young players for the World Cup, with several emerging talents making their mark.
Injuries also plagued the U.S. team leading up to the World Cup, with key players such as Mallory Swanson and Becky Sauerbrunn unable to compete due to injury. Promising forward Catarina Macario, who tore her ACL while playing for her club team Lyon, also missed out on the tournament.
Andonovski’s predecessor, Jill Ellis, led the U.S. team to eight tournament titles, including consecutive World Cup victories in 2015 and 2019. Ellis, currently heading the FIFA Technical Study Group at the World Cup in Sydney, emphasized the importance of a robust and diverse hiring process to find the right person for the coaching role.
The U.S. Soccer Federation will now begin the search for a new coach as they set their sights on future success.