Jimmy Coenraets Named Utah Royals FC Head Coach
Oct 24, 2024, 9:55 AM | Updated: Oct 25, 2024, 11:40 am
SALT LAKE CITY—Utah Royals FC has hired Jimmy Coenraets as its next head coach, taking the first step toward NWSL contention in 2025. Coenraets began his Royals tenure as an assistant coach before being elevated to interim head coach following the dismissal of former coach Amy Rodriguez in late June.
The Royals announced they would remove the interim tag from Coenraets’ title on Thursday, October 24.
“In our continued efforts to deliver a product that our fans are proud of, we are excited to have Jimmy stay in Utah long term,” said John Kimball, President of Utah Royals FC and Real Salt Lake. “Despite the adversity that we have faced this season, Jimmy has exemplified what it means to be part of the Utah Royals with his dedication to the game as well as Utah’s incredible community. He has integrated seamlessly into the team environment, building productive and positive relationships with players and staff. We remain focused on building a team on and off the field that can compete at the highest level for years to come, and we believe that Jimmy is the ideal candidate to lead us forward.”
RELATED: Utah Royals FC Fires Head Coach Amy Rodriguez Amid First Season
The environment, the mentality, the culture.
Jimmy Coenraets is all in. pic.twitter.com/0YCdqeIFyp
— Utah Royals FC (@UtahRoyalsFC) October 24, 2024
“I am incredibly proud to take on the role of head coach for the Utah Royals.” said Head Coach Jimmy Coenraets. “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. As the youngest coach in the league, I aim to grow alongside the club and work towards a long-term vision that benefits our fans and the community. 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. I am looking forward to building on the foundations that have been established. I want to express my gratitude to Kelly and John for trusting me with the club’s vision.”
The Royals have gone 5-3-2, earning 17 NWSL points since Coenraets took over. Only Orlando, Gotham FC, and Washington have earned more points since the NWSL Summer Cup in late August.
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Utah Royals FC concludes the regular season by hosting New York/New Jersey Gotham FC on Friday, November 1. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. MT. Utah has already been eliminated from the NWSL playoffs.
Live radio calls of every game can be found on sports.ksl.com. Select games will be broadcast on the KSL Sports Zone (97.5 FM/1280 AM) and KSL NewsRadio (102.7 FM/1160 AM).
Find KSL Sports coverage of the Utah Royals here.
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Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering the Utah State Aggies, Locals in MLB, and Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees, Beehive baseball, and Aggie athletics coverage here.
