ORLANDO, FL (November 11, 2022) – The Orlando Pride have announced that Seb Hines has been promoted to Head Coach, starting immediately, and has signed a multi-year contract to coach the Pride.
“Seb is a talented coach that has demonstrated great leadership and an ability to get the most out of his players, while also establishing an inclusive and competitive team culture. He stepped into a difficult position this year, handling it with professionalism and brought about many positive changes both on and off the field for our Club,” Orlando Pride Chairman Mark Wilf said.
“After evaluating what we want the future for the Pride to be, listening to player feedback, and discussing with Seb, it became very clear that he has earned the opportunity to continue leading our Club. We are very excited to see what he can keep building with a full offseason and preseason ahead of the 2023 campaign. Seb has been an incredibly dedicated and passionate member of our organization and we are thrilled to have him as the next head coach for the Orlando Pride.”
Hines, a former English Premier League defender, was chosen the Club’s temporary head coach on June 7, 2022, and led the Pride through the final 15 games of the 2022 season. During that time, the Pride embarked on a seven-game unbeaten streak from July 3 to August 20, and witnessed increases in shot, shot on target, and passing accuracy averages, as well as three total clean sheets.
After spending eight years with the Orlando Pride and Orlando City, Hines takes over as head coach. A product of Wetherby, England, Hines initially arrived in Orlando in 2015, where he spent three seasons with Orlando City SC in Major League Soccer. Hines began shadowing former Pride Head Coach Tom Sermanni in 2018 and remained as a volunteer assistant for the next two seasons before being promoted as a full-time assistant under Marc Skinner in 2020.
Hines got his USSF A License in September while serving as the team’s interim head coach. Hines was the first Black head coach in the NWSL when he was appointed on an interim basis, and he is now the league’s first Black full-time head coach.
“I’m grateful for this opportunity and look forward to leading the Pride ahead of the 2023 NWSL season. Orlando is a diverse and dynamic city, and I’m excited to build a team identity that reflects the values of our club and our community—a team that Pride fans can be proud of,” Hines said. “It’s an inspiring time to be a part of this organization. We’re creating a competitive environment where players feel heard and supported to succeed. Our ownership group is deeply committed to building a world-class, winning culture, and I’m thrilled to work alongside them to make it a reality.”
The Club will immediately begin working with Hines to pick his assistant and support staff, which will be announced later.
