Utah Royals Head Coach Amy Rodriguez Aims To Bring Championship To Utah
Apr 20, 2023, 12:23 PM
Image of Utah Royals President Michelle Hyncik and new Head Coach Amy Rodriguez (Photo courtesy of Chandler Holt, KSL Sports)
(Photo courtesy of Chandler Holt, KSL Sports)
SALT LAKE CITY – In her introductory press conference as head coach of the Utah Royals, Amy Rodriguez talked about her return to Utah, the transition to coaching, and her goals for the season.
After retiring from professional soccer in January 2022, Rodriguez spent one year as an assistant coach at her alma mater University of Southern California.
Welcome back, Coach‼️ pic.twitter.com/S6jn5q8TGo
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) April 20, 2023
Amy Rodriguez, New Head Coach Of The Utah Royals
Transitioning from playing to coaching isn’t easy. An NWSL coaching license course and a year with the USC women’s soccer team helped prepare Rodriguez for her new role.
“What an absolute dream, honor, and privilege,” Rodriguez said. “There are moments where I don’t feel deserving of this role. It’s a very heavy crown to wear for sure. But, the competitor and player in me is always one to strive for excellence and lead with passion.”
Rodriguez played forward for the Utah Royals from 2018-2020. She said she looks back fondly on her time in Utah and is grateful for the opportunity to come back and coach.
“I absolutely love being back here,” Rodriguez said. “It feels a bit full circle to have been here as a player and now to come back as a coach. It’s an incredible honor and I will do my very best to make this community proud because I love this place. I enjoyed my time here so greatly.”
View this post on Instagram
From The Field To The Sidelines
As a two-time Olympic Gold medalist, FIFA Women’s World Cup winner, and two-time NWSL champion, Rodriguez had a storied professional soccer career.
“Looking back on my career, I’m so grateful for my experiences,” Rodriguez said. “I gained a lot of knowledge as a player and now I’m looking to apply that to coaching. I want to see how I can help the next generation to help them become the next best players. As I sit here, I think about my journey and which coaches brought the best version of me out. I hope to be able to do that.”
Quite the track record. pic.twitter.com/Y2N9aopaoS
— Utah Royals (@UtahRoyalsFC) April 20, 2023
As for expectations and goals heading into the Royals reintroduction to the NWSL, Rodriguez made it clear that she wants to win.
“I’m so excited to see Royals 2.0,” Rodriguez said. “This time, we’re going to be better than ever. Realizing what they’re trying to do here made me so excited and it made my decision easier. I love to win. If I can instill that here and bring a championship, that is my goal.”
Coach checking in. pic.twitter.com/fMzkOWc1o6
— Utah Royals (@UtahRoyalsFC) April 20, 2023
Utah Royals President Michelle Hyncik explained that Rodriguez stuck out from the crowd of potential head coach candidates.
“Amy (Rodriguez) just stands out as iconic and legendary in the Utah Royals community,” Hyncik said. “Our head coach and our general manager are going to be critical for defining our on-field strategy. All of those things are factors that led to us ending up here today.”
RELATED STORIES
Chandler Holt is a Digital Sports Producer for sports.ksl.com, specializing in all things basketball and football. Follow Chandler on Twitter at @ChandlerHoltKSL.
