The U.S. women’s national team assistant coach Twila Kilgore is departing the program to “pursue other coaching opportunities”, US Soccer announced on Tuesday.
Kilgore was interim head coach of the USWNT from August 2023 — after former head coach Vlatko Andonovski resigned following the team’s round-of-16 exit at the 2023 World Cup — until May 2024, when new head coach Emma Hayes arrived. In that time, Kilgore saw the team through a 10-1-3 record, which included winning the Concacaf Gold Cup in 2024.
“Being a part of this storied program as both an assistant and interim head coach has been both a privilege and rewarding experience. What this group has accomplished during a time of transition is a testament to all involved and I believe an indication of continued success to come,” Kilgore said via USSF’s release.
Kilgore’s tenure as interim head coach was an unusual one, as she was expected to guide the USWNT through a much longer than average transition period following the World Cup while still maintaining the team’s high standards of success, particularly after the team’s last-16 elimination against Sweden. During this period, Kilgore was also in communication with Hayes in order to prepare the team for the former Chelsea manager takeover just two months before the Olympics, where the USWNT won the gold medal.
Kilgore has not indicated where she will coach next. She has coached in Division I NCAA soccer and has been an assistant coach at the NWSL level with the Houston Dash. At the moment, the Dash are without their current head coach, Fran Alonso, who has been on an extended leave of absence since June. Kilgore has both a USSF Pro and a UEFA A coaching license.
The USWNT’s next fixtures come at the end of October when they face Iceland twice and Argentina once in a series of friendlies.
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