Orlando Pride announced on Thursday that Yolanda Thomas has been appointed head coach on a multi-year agreement. The 42-year-old had been serving as interim head coach since August, after the club parted ways with former head coach Seb Hines.
With the appointment, Thomas becomes the first Black woman to hold a permanent head coaching position in the NWSL. She had already made history on an interim basis when she first took charge in August, becoming the league's first Black female head coach at that time. She is now the fifth head coach in Orlando Pride's club history.
Thomas, a former Oklahoma State product, joined the Pride as an assistant coach before the 2023 season and helped the club win both the NWSL Shield and a championship in 2024. In 2025, while still with Orlando, she also served as head coach of the U-23 U.S. Women's Youth National Team.
"Yolanda has earned this opportunity through her expertise, tactical acumen, preparation and impact on our players and our club," said Caitlin Carducci, the Pride's vice president of soccer operations and general manager. "She is an exceptional coach who understands the importance of culture and what people need in different moments, and she has earned the trust and respect of our players and staff through her work over the past several years."
Thomas described the appointment as a chance to build on what the club has already achieved. "I am honored to lead a club that I care so deeply about and a group of players I believe in wholeheartedly. What we've built together over the last several seasons is just the beginning of something special," she said in a team release. "We have established a strong foundation and a championship standard, and I believe the potential of this club goes far beyond what we've already achieved. We see an opportunity for the Orlando Pride to become a global leader in women's football, and I look forward to working with Caitlin and our entire program to help lead us there."
A Long Road Through Coaching and Playing
Before joining the Pride, Thomas held multiple leadership positions in the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL), including director of coaching and head coach roles with Tulsa Soccer Club and Fortuna Club. Under her leadership, Fortuna Tulsa made multiple trips to the National Final Four, National Elite Eight and Regional Championship, while Tulsa Soccer Club was named WPSL Franchise of the Year in 2019 and 2021.
Thomas also played professionally for seven years in Sweden's top division, the Damallsvenskan. On the collegiate side, she served as an assistant coach at Oklahoma State University and the University of Tulsa, and was head coach at Rogers State University.
