Houston Dash appoints Fabrice Gautrat as head coach, seeks improvement in 2025

Fabrice Gautrat is the new head coach of the NWSL’s Houston Dash, after the club announced his appointment on Friday.

The 37-year-old previously served stints as assistant coach for the North Carolina Courage and Chicago Red Stars, though this is first professional head coaching position. He will be tasked with leading a team that had a tumultuous 2024 season and finished bottom of the NWSL standings.

“Throughout our search it was evident that Fabrice would be an excellent fit to lead our team as the next head coach,” Houston’s president of women’s soccer Angela Hucles Mangano said, in a statement. “He has empowered players across the league over the last five years to win trophies and achieve sustained success. His devotion to the game and the development of our players will be critical to the transformation we envision for the Dash.”

Gautrat fills a role left behind by Ricky Clarke, who took over on an interim basis after former head coach Fran Alonso’s months-long absence from the team that began in late June. The club officially parted ways with Alonso by October, which left Clarke in charge of the team for the remainder of the season.

The Dash ended the year with a 5-5-16 record. Last month, team announced Clarke’s departure. Gautrat arrives in Houston in the middle of a busy offseason. The club recently hired Hucles Mangano after she left Angel City, and has had some high-profile player signings.

The team recently acquired former Gotham FC teammates Yazmeen Ryan and Delanie Sheehan. Ryan joined the club in a record-breaking move after a breakout season that saw her earn her first cap with the USWNT. Sheehan joined the club immediately after entering free agency. The two were a vital part of Gotham’s championship winning team in 2023.

Before turning to coaching, Gautrat had a brief professional playing career. He is also married to Morgan Gautrat, previously Morgan Brian, a two-time World Cup winner and current NWSL champion with the Orlando Pride.

“I look forward to working with the club to build something special that the city of Houston can take great pride in,” Gautrat said in the club statement. “Together, we will work to make the Dash a consistent contender in the NWSL.”

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

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