Orlando Pride appoint Yolanda Thomas as NWSL’s first Black woman full-time head coach, ESPN reports

According to ESPN, Thomas joined Orlando as an assistant in 2023, helped win the 2024 Shield and championship, and took interim charge after Seb Hines’ firing in August. Thomas told ESPN that becoming the league’s first Black woman full-time head coach deserves celebration but also reflection: “it's 2026 and it's just now happening.”