Yolanda Thomas's new job with the Orlando Pride is already part of NWSL history.
On Thursday, the team announced that Thomas had been appointed head coach and the 42-year-old signed a multi-year agreement. She has been the interim head coach since August after the organization parted ways with former head coach Seb Hines.
At the time of her hire, she became the NWSL's first Black female head coach on an interim basis and now she is the first Black woman to hold the role permanently.
Thomas becomes the fifth head coach in club history. Before the 2023 season, the former Oklahoma State product joined Orlando as an assistant coach and helped the Pride win the NWSL Shield in 2024 and a championship that same season. In 2025, while still with Orlando,
Thomas also served as head coach for the U-23 U.S. Women’s Youth National Team.
“Yolanda has earned this opportunity through her expertise, tactical acumen, preparation and impact on our players and our club,” said Caitlin Carducci, the Pride's vice president of soccer operations and general manager. “She is an exceptional coach who understands the importance of culture and what people need in different moments, and she has earned the trust and respect of our players and staff through her work over the past several years."
"I am honored to lead a club that I care so deeply about and a group of players I believe in wholeheartedly. What we've built together over the last several seasons is just the beginning of something special," Thomas said in a team release. "We have established a strong foundation and a championship standard, and I believe the potential of this club goes far beyond what we've already achieved. We see an opportunity for the Orlando Pride to become a global leader in women's football, and I look forward to working with Caitlin and our entire program to help lead us there.”
Before joining the Pride, Thomas was with the Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL), holding multiple leadership positions with Tulsa Soccer Club and Fortuna Club, including director of coaching and head coach. During her time with the league, she helped guide Fortuna Tulsa to multiple trips to the National Final Four, National Elite Eight and Regional Championship. Behind her leadership, Tulsa Soccer Club was named the WPSL Franchise of the Year (2019, 2021).
Thomas, who played pro soccer for seven years in Sweden’s top division, the Damallsvenskan, also has collegiate experience. She served as an assistant coach at Oklahoma State University and the University of Tulsa. Thomas was also the head coach at Rogers State University.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pride's Yolanda Thomas becomes NWSL's first Black woman head coach
