Former UCLA women’s soccer coach Jill Ellis was announced as the new head coach of the U.S. Women’s National Team on Friday.
“I’m humbled and proud to lead the current generation of players toward the ultimate goal, a FIFA World Cup championship,” Ellis said in a press release.
Ellis first started coaching for the Bruins in 1999 and stayed with the program until 2010 when she took up a post as the U21 U.S. Women’s National Team coach.
During Ellis’ tenure at UCLA, she’s accumulated a 229-45-14 record, seven Pac-12 championships, eight NCAA College Cup appearances and was given the NSCAA Coach of the Year award in 2000.
Ellis replaces Tom Sermanni, who was recently fired from his position several weeks after a string of disappointing performances which also included a seventh-place showing by the U.S. Women’s National Team in the 2014 Algarve Cup – the worst-ever finish in the program’s history.
The U.S. Women’s National Team will get a chance to make a run at the “ultimate goal” in 2015, when the next FIFA World Cup is scheduled to be held in Canada.
Compiled by Aubrey Yeo, Bruin Sports reporter.