The big changes with the U.S. women’s national team just keep coming.
USWNT general manager Kate Markgraf has stepped down from her post, with U.S. Soccer releasing a statement on Friday confirming an earlier report from Equalizer Soccer.
“After four years, Kate Markgraf has decided not to continue as the U.S. Women’s National Team General Manager with U.S. Soccer,” read U.S. Soccer’s official announcement. “She will provide support through the end of the month to assist in the transition.”
Markgraf was the first-ever GM for the USWNT program, taking over a newly-created role in August 2019 and overseeing both the senior team as well as youth national team programs.
“It has been an incredible honor to work with the players, coaches and staff at U.S. Soccer on the mission of keeping our program at the top of the women’s game,” said Markgraf. “I am proud of the foundation we have built, and even more proud of the character and commitment demonstrated by our players as they represent the United States on and off the field. I look forward to supporting all of our programs and have every confidence that we will maintain our standards of excellence moving forward.”
During her playing career, Markgraf was one of the “99ers,” the squad that won the historic 1999 World Cup, and amassed 201 caps from 1998-2010.
“Kate has been an instrumental part of women’s national team both on and off the field for many years, and we’re very thankful for the tireless work she has given to the USWNT and all our youth national teams,” said U.S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker. “We wish her all the best in her future endeavors and look forward to building on the foundation she helped establish over the past several years.”
U.S. Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone, who was Markgraf’s teammate on the USWNT for many years, added that the federation is “grateful to Kate for the tremendous work she has done in helping guide our women’s national team and the transformative work on our youth women’s national team programs. Her knowledge and experience have been incredibly valuable, and we are poised to build on that foundation as we look to the future.”
Murky future for USWNT
U.S. Soccer did not announce next steps in announcing the news, which is yet another major change in direction for the federation. Crocker only recently started as the full-time sporting director after Earnie Stewart’s departure in January. The end of Stewart’s tenure coincided with U.S. Soccer’s men’s general manager, Brian McBride, not being retained after his contract expired.
USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski resigned from the job earlier this week after a disappointing World Cup ended in the team’s earliest-ever exit from the tournament. Twila Kilgore has been appointed interim head coach.
The changes come at what seems like an inflection point for the women’s side of U.S. Soccer. Two straight underwhelming showings at big tournaments more or less required major change, and the team finds itself phasing out veterans and bringing youngsters in for bigger roles. There is something of an age gap within the current squad as well, with only nine of the 23-player World Cup roster falling in the prime years between the ages of 24-29.
U.S. Soccer’s decision in terms of head coach likely only matters if the structures around that coach allow the program to thrive. That makes the next move at the top of the organizational chart — whether that is a new GM, or a more big-picture change in leadership structure — just as important as the more high-profile pursuit of a new manager.
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