A month after she coached USA to victory at the Women’s World Cup, Jill Ellis has been rewarded with a new contract by US Soccer.
The Washington Post initially reported the news, and US Soccer confirmed the story on Tuesday night.
US Soccer president Sunil Gulati said: “[Jill] met that challenge with tremendous passion and knowledge to win what was perhaps the most difficult Women’s World Cup tournament in history. We think Jill is the ideal person to lead the next generation of the women’s national team.”
Ellis is in charge of a team in transition as a younger generation begins to replace the veterans who have led the US to a number of successes.
Ellis said: “To watch our players achieve their dreams and continue to inspire fans across the country and the world was one of the most satisfying experiences of my coaching career.
“I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to continue to work with these great players with the tremendous resources that US Soccer dedicates to the women’s game. We had a really exciting year, and we are looking forward to more exciting times ahead.”
Although some doubted Ellis’s ability to play a more modern brand of football as her team huffed and puffed through the early stages of this year’s World Cup, she won praise for adapting her tactics as the tournament wore on. The decision to allow Carli Lloyd to play a more attacking role was crucial, and the midfielder scored a brilliant hat-trick in the World Cup final against Japan.
USA are riding a wave of popularity after their World Cup victory. They were given a ticker-tape victory parade in New York, and have enjoyed record ticket sales for their upcoming friendlies against Costa Rica.
