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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Royals FC announced Thursday the hiring of interim head coach Jimmy Coenraets as permanent head coach of the newly returned NWSL squad.
The Belgium native arrived in Utah in June as an assistant coach and was quickly placed in the driver's seat when the club parted ways with head coach Amy Rodriguez on June 30.
Coenraets has since led Utah to a 5-3-2 record and 17 points in NWSL play, tripling its total in six fewer matches. Only the current top three teams in the league (Orlando, Gotham FC and Washington) have collected more points than Utah since the Olympic break in August.
The environment, the mentality, the culture.
— Utah Royals FC (@UtahRoyalsFC) October 24, 2024
Jimmy Coenraets is all in. pic.twitter.com/0YCdqeIFyp
"We are thrilled to have Jimmy on board," sporting director Kelly Cousins said in a statement. "Under his leadership since being named interim, the players have found their form on the pitch and have completely bought in to the vision that Jimmy has for this club, both on and off the field.
"Jimmy's commitment to excellence, winning, community and attention to detail aligns with our core values at the Utah Royals, and we are excited for him to stay long term."
Coenraets becomes the youngest head coach in the NWSL at just 29 years old and signed a contract to remain in Utah through the 2027 season.
"My focus is not only on winning but also on developing each player and colleague so that we can excel both as a team and as individuals, on and off the field," Coenraets said. "We've already seen a fantastic support base in our first year as an expansion team, and it's my goal to give them even more reasons to support us and come back."
The Royals will end their 2024 season with one final home match at America First Field on Nov. 1 against Gotham FC.
