The Washington Spirit announced they have fired head coach Kris Ward.
The defending NWSL champions announced the move in a tweet on Monday, with no other context on the decision.
Ward, who was previously an assistant coach, took over as interim head coach midway through the 2021 season and led the Spirit on an incredible late-season surge that culminated in an NWSL championship.
That run led to Ward earning the job on a full-time basis ahead of the 2022 season. However, Ward’s time as permanent head coach has not gone nearly as well as his stint as an interim.
The Spirit currently sit 11th in the 12-team league’s standings, with a record of 1W-9D-6L. The club is in the midst of a 17-game winless run, with the Spirit failing to win since the first game of the season on May 1.
Ward also turned heads with recent comments on the playing surface at Segra Field, the club’s stadium for half of its home matches in 2022.
“It’s an abomination that a professional game has to be played on something like this,” Ward said.
The Spirit have six games remaining in the 2022 season, with a playoff berth all but out of reach.
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