Utah Royals focused on details, individual improvement in 2nd year back

SALT LAKE CITY — What is Utah Royals head coach Jimmy Coenraets focused on in the days leading up to his team's 2025 season opener on Saturday?

Things like tactics, lineups and formations might come to mind, but the 29-year-old — who turns 30 on March 25 — instead presented a slideshow that addressed picking up bottles, cleaning up the locker room and not canceling massages.

He initially took the issues to the team's leadership group, which includes team captain Paige Monaghan, goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn and rising star Ally Sentnor, and they agreed. The group even came back with a few extra things they've seen in the locker room they're not happy about, as well.

Coenraets and the Royals are trying to build a sustainable system of communication and trust that has often belied teams in the NWSL, even in Utah. Accountability has been a huge part of that process, but so is listening and treating each individual as a human — something Coenraets says comes first no matter what.

"Whenever we talk about individual plans, we ask the player what she wants to do, and we're not telling the player what she needs to do," Coenraets said. "I think that's a big theme of accountability that we have in the building. If I go to someone to tell them, 'This is what I want you to do,' instead of going to them like, 'What would you like to do?'"

It's all part of a master plan at the Utah Royals' "SharkNinja Performance Center" in Herriman to give individual players the resources they need to help bring out the best in the team. Coenraets and sporting director Kelly Cousins are sparing no expense and leaving no stone unturned in their quest to turn Utah into a perennial NWSL contender.

The team's support staff more than doubled over the offseason, bringing in more assistant coaches, medical experts, massage therapists, and, perhaps most impressively, a coach dedicated solely to each player's "individual development plan" that is completely separate from the team's needs as a group.

"The investments that we made are really looking at individuals and making sure that we can make the individual better," Coenraets said. "I think that's our core; it's what we really want to do. If the individual feels well and plays well, the team will benefit."

When asked how these investments came about, Cousins said she meets weekly with the team's ownership group — mainly Jessica Gelman and Scott Krase — and they have been very accommodating in providing what the club asks for if they explain why they need it.

While player health and development are certainly paramount, the most important investment a club can make is bringing in the right players. The offseason was no snoozefest in that area either, with Utah bringing in 11 new players from six different countries and all four phases of play.

In keeping with his habit of magnifying the smallest details, Coenraets was sure to also give a shoutout to three temporary roster players who were added to the team in the last week as injury replacements.

Players starting the season on the absent list include forward Cloe Lacasse with an ACL recovery and defender Olivia Griffitts, who announced on Feb. 4 that she and fellow BYU alum Kyle Griffitts are expecting a baby.

So who can fans look forward to seeing face off against Bay FC at America First Field on Saturday (5:30 p.m. MDT)?

Sentnor and Mina Tanaka are certainly at the top of the list given their recent international accolades, but newcomers like Aisha Solorzano and Bianca St-Georges could also provide a spark on the offensive side that lacked at times for Utah last season.

Young up-and-comers Macey Fraser and Brecken Mozingo figure to find their footing in 2025, as well, after up-and-down rookie NWSL seasons. Coenraets is looking for "adventurous" players on the pitch, which should lead to some exciting moments in Sandy this season, the club hopes.

Coenraets, Cousins and all the players agree that making the playoffs is the expectation this season, but Cousins cautioned against "running before they can walk."

She doesn't want to build toward a championship only to fall back into a rebuilding phase immediately after, instead prioritizing the kinds of incremental and sustainable improvements that lead to consistent contention.

Royalty can come and go, after all, but a dynasty is built to last.

Related topics