Seb Hines earns still one more top honor for Orlando Pride | OneFootball

It wasn’t an afterthought. The one behind the Orlando Pride players’ greatest season ever has won NWSL Coach of the Year honors. This went to Seb Hines, at 31-30-12, who is the winningest coach for the Pride.

The honor hit just days before the Pride won it all, defeating the Washington Spirit 1-0 for the 2024 NWSL championship. The team that did it included the most skilled and driven players, as well as the most experienced head coach in Seb Hines.

Not that long ago, Hines was a top defender of the Orlando City SC. He joined the Lions upon their 2015 expansion debut.

That first year, he played in 23 matches, starting all but two of them. He scored a goal and contributed to four clean sheets. He did that with 76 interceptions and 108 clearances. He also got into 97 aerial duels, winning 65% of them.

In his three seasons with the Lions, he totaled 142 interceptions, 231 clearances, and 201 aerial duels.

Mar 6, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando City SC defender Seb Hines (3) and Real Salt Lake forward Yura Movsisyan (14) chase down the ball in the first half at Orlando Citrus Bowl Stadium. Orlando City SC and Real Salt Lake played to a 2-2 tie. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images / Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

Then, he took over as the Pride interim coach in June 2022.  That ultimately resulted in the Pride’s first appearance in the NWSL Championship. But even with that team accomplishment, it’s this season that is the most special for Hines and the players.

On Oct. 6 with a 2-0 victory over the Washington Spirit, the Orlando Pride left the pitch with the NWSL trophy. No one knew it at the time, but they were destined to meet the Spirit again, defeating them for their first NWSL Championship.

They finished the regular season 18-2-6, the best record in the league. They scored 46 goals, giving up only 20. That’s the lowest number of conceded goals in the league.

With his fierce drive to compete on the pitch and his game experience, Seb Hines is the perfect head coach for the Orlando Pride. He not only can teach winning, but he can show the players.

He knows how to explain winning and get the players to learn what it feels like. They’ll never turn back now that they’ve won it all.