The North Carolina Courage have their man. Mak Lind is coming over from Sweden to take charge of the NWSL club, and this feels like the fresh start the team desperately needed.
The 37-year-old Swedish coach arrived in North Carolina this week and is already getting to work. He's leaving behind an impressive resume at BK Häcken, where he spent the last two seasons building something special.
Here's what should get Courage fans excited: Lind just led BK Häcken to the Swedish league title with a ridiculous 21-1-4 record. That's a +68 goal differential, folks. His teams score goals—lots of them.
"I'm kind of obsessed with scoring goals and how we're going to score goals," Lind said when leaving his old club. That's music to the ears of Courage supporters who watched their team finish ninth last season with a pedestrian -2 goal differential.
Champions League Pedigree
Lind isn't just about domestic success. He guided BK Häcken to the UEFA Women's Champions League quarterfinals in 2024, where they eventually lost to Paris Saint-Germain. That's serious European experience coming to the NWSL.
The timing couldn't be better either. The Courage recently signed Swedish striker Evelyn Ijeh from AC Milan on a contract through 2029. She banged in 12 goals in Serie A last season and fits perfectly with Lind's attacking philosophy.
Interestingly, Ijeh played for BK Häcken back in 2021, though their paths didn't cross with Lind at the time. Now they'll reunite in North Carolina with a chance to build something special together.
A Much-Needed Fresh Start
This hire represents a clean break from the club's troubled recent past. The Courage won two NWSL championships in 2018 and 2019, but former coach Paul Riley was fired in 2021 following serious misconduct allegations that were later confirmed by league investigations.
The two coaches who followed—Sean Nahas and Nathan Thackeray—both served under Riley, making it hard for the club to fully turn the page. Lind brings an entirely fresh perspective with no ties to that era.
For bettors eyeing the 2026 NWSL season, the Courage could be worth watching. A proven coach with attacking credentials, plus new firepower up front, might translate to better results than last year's playoff miss. The season opener comes March 14 against Racing Louisville at home.
Lind becomes just the third head coach in Courage history, and he's bringing European tactical know-how to a league that's rapidly growing in quality and profile. If his Swedish success translates across the pond, North Carolina might be back in the trophy hunt sooner than expected.
