“The Pride were always a team that had a lot of really good players who couldn’t figure it out on the field,” said midfielder Morgan Gautrat about Orlando always having it in them. And boy, did it show last year! Winning both the NWSL Championship and the Shield to secure the domestic double, the squad proved that you can stand on the edge of greatness even after having experienced the lowest of lows. But what changed for the Florida team?
When former Middlesbrough player Seb Hines was appointed as Orlando’s interim head coach in 2022, the squad was almost waiting to go belly-up. But with the arrival of the British international at the helm, things quickly started to get better, which culminated in last year’s incredible success. Some would argue it was Hines’s wisdom that did the trick. Probably true. But even the coach couldn’t help Orlando reach where it is now if he didn’t have people helping him in the first place.
How Seb’s NWSL journey got a head-start, thanks to his connections
In a post shared on The Women’s Game X handle on April 12, the Pride coach talked about how the two-time World Cup winner, Ali Krieger, helped him land the job in Florida. “Kriegs played a big part in me getting to this position,” Hines said with a grin right off the bat in the video that accompanies the post. He also revealed how Krieger took it upon herself to get everyone in touch with one another to help Seb explore his options at Orlando. And that involved a lot of help being extended by the Pride’s former head coach, Tom Sermanni.
Shoutout to @alikrieger for helping get @seb_38 the @ORLPride coaching job pic.twitter.com/GftRnH6qAQ
— The Women’s Game (@WomensGameMIB) April 12, 2025
“I spoke to Kriegs. I was like, yeah, I’m not doing a whole lot. So then Kriegs spoke to my wife. My wife spoke to Kriegs. Kriegs then spoke to Tom Sermanni,” the NWSL coach said about how he got to ask his predecessor if he could arrive at Florida to see if coaching was his calling. “Are you good with me coming in and just seeing if this is what I want to do? And he was like, ‘Absolutely, come in‘,” Seb recalled about how Tom was more than welcoming. He went on to note how he would even take part in training when the team needed an extra hand, err, or foot.
“And yeah, I’d turn up for home games, you know, give my opinion on a few things. So I’m not getting paid, but I’m getting experience of working with high-quality players that we had here at Orlando at that time,” the NWSL celebrity didn’t beat around the bush about how his early days with the Pride was essential in helping him understand what it takes to coach at the highest level of the sport. Maybe that’s what ensured Hines’s success in the coming years.
Hines’s triumphant run started from the bottom
With players continuously coming and going, and the sacking of former coach Amanda Cromwell, Orlando was struggling to match up to the expectations. The squad was desperately trying to find any form of hope to cling to, and in 2022, Seb was promoted as the interim head coach to help the franchise navigate through the troubled times. And unsurprisingly, things just didn’t change overnight. In just his second game as interim head coach, the Pride lost 6-0 to the Portland Thorns, prompting Hines to make it clear to the players that things needed a major overhaul.
The players responded well, putting in the grind in two-a-day practice sessions and going on a 7-game unbeaten streak. However, they ran out of steam soon and could only manage a 10th-place finish in the 2022 season. But the wheels had begun to turn as Seb’s first year as permanent boss saw the Pride quickly rise through the ranks and narrowly miss the 2023 playoffs through goal difference.
But that was only the beginning. In 2024, Orlando won its first-ever NWSL Championship in franchise history. Along with that, Seb’s girls also set a new benchmark in the league by recording the most wins in a season (18), along with racking up the most points in a single season (60). However, with the incredible stats, the expectations also grew.
But knowing Hines, he should be prepared for anything coming his way. Bagging the 2024 NWSL Coach Of The Year award and the extension of his contract with Orlando would only help him find more motivation to continue building on his legacy as the team’s top man. While the former professional player was justifiably taken aback to know that he is the first-ever black head coach in the NWSL, Seb undoubtedly would want to make the most of the opportunity at hand and put the Pride in a place where they would command the respect of their peers. Do you think the momentum will be carried forward this season as well? Share your predictions about Pride defending its title below!
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