Twila Kilgore departs U.S. Women’s National Team coaching staff

CHICAGO – Twila Kilgore, who served as a U.S. Women’s National Team assistant coach at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the interim head coach before the arrival of Emma Hayes, and an assistant on the gold medal-winning 2024 Olympic Team, is departing U.S. Soccer to pursue other coaching opportunities.

Kilgore took the helm of the USWNT in the early fall of 2023 and remained in that position after the hiring of Hayes in November of that year. She was the head coach for 14 matches until the arrival of Hayes in May of 2024, a span of almost nine months, and compiled a record of 10 wins, one loss and three draws while leading the team to championships at the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup and the 2024 SheBelieves Cup, helping set the stage for the USA’s gold medal run this past summer in France.

“I am thankful for the opportunities, trust and support I have received from leadership, staff, players, and fans over the past three years,” said Kilgore. “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. I’m not only leaving with a gold medal run, but also with incredible experiences, meaningful relationships and new ambitions.”

Kilgore, the first American-born woman to earn a U.S. Soccer Pro license, also has an UEFA “A” Coaching License. She earned her U.S. Soccer “A” License in 2010. In 2022, she was a FIFA Women’s Development Program mentee and a mentee in U.S. Soccer’s SheChampions Mentorship Program. In 2023, she was a SheChampions mentor in the program.

“I know I speak for everyone at U.S. Soccer when I say that we are all very thankful to Twila for her wonderful work over the past few years, especially during a very difficult transition time for the players and the program,” said U.S. Soccer Sporting Director Matt Crocker. “Her focus on the tasks at hand and her positive relationships with the players and staff were an important part of our preparations for the Olympics and we are extremely grateful for her contributions. Her experience, work ethic and compassion tell me that she will no doubt be successful as a head coach and I’m excited for the next stage of her coaching journey.”

Kilgore has been an assistant and head coach in Division I college soccer and an assistant in the NWSL. Prior to joining U.S. Soccer full-time, she worked extensively with U.S. Soccer’s Women’s Youth National Teams. Since 2011, she also worked for U.S. Soccer at the Southern California and Northern California Training Centers and has worked with the U.S. WYNTs at the U-14, U-15, U-19, U-20 and U-23 levels. In 2019, she was the head coach for the U.S. U-20 WYNT for the La Manga Tournament in Spain. She served as a head coach for the U.S. Under-23 Women’s Youth National Team for two events in 2022.

“Twila stepped into a difficult situation when she took over after the World Cup,” said Hayes. “She then embraced it with extreme dedication, a love for the U.S. Women’s National Team program and a passion to help the players be their best selves. I will be forever grateful for her work in the eight months I was still in England after I took this job, and then through the Olympics. Her contributions to our team were invaluable. I am a big proponent of opportunities for female coaches, and we need more coaches in the United States like Twila. She is a role model for many other women following in her path and whichever team is her next one, they will be getting an excellent coach and human.”