CHICAGO, IL–The only coach the Chicago Red Stars have ever had in the NWSL is stepping down. Rory Dames announced his resignation late Sunday night after eleven years at the helm which included two years in the WPSL in 2011 and 2012.
“For 11 years, I have dedicated myself to help build the Chicago Red Stars into one of the top international clubs. Effective today, I’m refocusing my attention to my family and future endeavors, and I am resigning as coach of the Chicago Red Stars. I’d like to thank the Chicago Red Stars organization, the fans and the players who I have had the opportunity to work with in their professional soccer careers. I look forward to watching the Chicago Red Stars and the NWSL continue to grow and evolve while supporting their players,” said Coach Rory Dames.
Dames leaves the Red Stars with an 85-64-57 record in all top flight competitions since 2013. That includes six straight playoff appearances from 2015, back-to-back appearances in the NWSL Championship in 2019 and 2021, and a final appearance in the NWSL Challenge Cup in 2020.
The club accepted his resignation and will work to immediately transition his responsibilities to the assistant coaches and others as appropriate while the search for a permanent head coach takes place.
“Under Rory’s leadership we have been a remarkably consistent and excellent club on the field. We continually evaluate our team and front office environment, and given the dynamic change underway in the league, it is time to begin the next chapter of the Red Stars with a search for new leadership of the team,” said the Chicago Red Stars.
(Editor’s note: It has come to our attention that a story in the Washington Post published on Monday details complaints made to US Soccer regarding allegations of abuse by Dames towards players, most notably by former Red Stars player Christen Press, and accusations that US Soccer did nothing. For those who do not have a subscription to the Washington Post, here is a follow-up story from The Equalizer’s Jeff Kassouf. We will provide updates on Prost Amerika as the story develops.)
