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The Utah Royals have named Jimmy Coenraets the team's new head coach, removing the interim tag from the Belgian manager after four months overseeing a revival of the team.
"I am incredibly proud to take on the role of head coach for the Utah Royals," Coenraets said in a statement. "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 took over as interim coach of the National Women's Soccer League expansion side after Amy Rodriguez was fired on June 30.
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Under Coenraets, the Royals put together a strong second half of the season in which they dragged themselves off the bottom of the table and nearly into the playoff race.
The Royals are 5-3-2 (W-L-D) under Coenraets and sit in 10th place heading into the final weekend.
The 17 points earned under Coenraets are three times as many as Utah earned under Rodriguez, in six fewer matches.
Only the Orlando Pride, NJ/NY Gotham FC and Washington Spirit -- the top three -- have collected more points than Utah since the league returned from its Olympic break in August.
"We are thrilled to have Jimmy on-board." Royals sporting director Kelly Cousins said.
"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."
Rodriguez, who played for the previous iteration of the Royals from 2018-2020, was only 15 games into her head coaching job at any level when she was fired.
Utah had the youngest roster in the NWSL at the time Rodriguez was fired and had scored only seven goals in 15 matches.
Under Jimmy Coenraets the Royals put together a strong second half of the season. Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images
Coenraets benefited from an influx of experienced international talent in the summer window.
The Royals added Spanish midfielder Claudia Zornoza, Japanese midfielder Mina Tanaka, and Canadian forward Cloé Lacasse in the summer transfer window.
Prior to joining Utah, Coenraets was manager at OH Leuven in Belgium, where he orchestrated a turnaround for the club.
He took over a last-place team in 2020 and made it a title contender.
Coenraets' contract runs through the 2027 NWSL season. He is the youngest head coach in the league at 29 years old.
Source: espn.co.uk