The coach of the United States teams that won the Women’s World Cup in 2015 and 2019.
Ellis coached the U.S. women’s national team for seven years, in 2012 and again from 2014 through 2019. During that time, her teams won 112 games, lost only 7 and tied 19. Her teams swept through those two Women’s World Cups undefeated, with 13 victories and one tie (against Sweden in a group-stage game in 2015). In those 14 games, they outscored their opponents by 40 goals to 6. In qualifying for those two Women’s World Cups, they were undefeated and unscored upon, scoring 49 goals in 10 games. Ellis’ efforts resulted in her being named CONCACAF women’s coach of the year in 2015 and FIFA women’s coach of the year in 2015 and 2019. The victories in 2015 and 2019 made her only the second person in world soccer history to coach two World Cup-winning teams, following Vittorio Pozzo of Italy in 1934 and 1938.
Ellis has filled several other roles with the U.S. Soccer Federation in addition to her years as national team coach. She was the women’s development director of the USSF for six years, 2011 through 2014, 2020 and 2021, and was coach of the United States team at the Under-20 Women’s World Cup in 2010. After leaving the USSF in 2022, she became president of the San Diego Wave of the National Women’s Soccer League. Prior to joining the USSF fulltime, she was a successful college coach at the University of Illinois and UCLA.
Elected in 2023.
