USWNT coach Emma Hayes is 'hilarious.' Her sense of humor has made an impact at Olympics

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PARIS – Call her the Comedian in Chief.

British by birth and nationality, American by her current occupation, U.S. women’s national team coach Emma Hayes won over her players in short order by being herself.

That sense of humor helped, too.

“It makes the biggest difference,” said U.S. forward Trinity Rodman.

Fellow forward Mallory Swanson: “Oh my gosh.”

“A lot,” striker Sophia Smith replied when asked about Hayes’ comedic streak. “Emma has a sense of humor I don’t think that I’ve ever seen before.”

As Hayes – who has her new team going for gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Saturday against Brazil in her first tournament at the helm – patrols the sidelines during games, she’s wont to turn toward the bench behind her and fire off a joke.

“People are like, ‘Are we allowed to laugh right now?’” Smith said.

After the Olympic opener against Zambia, Hayes compared the up-and-down action to a National Women’s Soccer League match.

“I didn’t like it,” said Hayes, who made her overall disappointment with the performance despite the 3-0 victory a funny moment.

The next match, Hayes shared that her agent had texted her immediately following the USA’s 4-1 win over Germany in group play that she still must have been unhappy.

“I actually really enjoyed the game,” she told reporters, generating more laughs.

Following the Americans’ victory over Germany in the semifinal, Hayes was asked if she wanted to play Spain.

“I don’t care,” she replied. “I want a drink.”

Asked about her 6-year-old son the day before playing Brazil, Hayes said: "Harry's been around the team — when he's not traveling to the Lego Store."

Maybe the accent plays a role. Maybe she shares more than the average coach in American sports. There’s just something to the 47-year-old.

“To have a coach who can laugh when you shank a shot is kind of nice,” Rodman said. “You know that you’re not going to lose your spot if you have a mess-up.”

Having the ability to make her team laugh in even the most stressful situations has injected light-heartedness into a team that dealt with disappointment a year ago at the 2023 World Cup.

The team has been breaking out a karaoke machine during those lighter moments, midfielder and captain Lindsey Horan said. Hayes’ go-to song? “Ice Ice Baby” by Vanilla Ice.

“I liked that one as a teenager,” she said Friday. “I could do that one quite well.”

Hayes’ unabashedness also gained her the trust of the players because they saw her true colors immediately.

“I think that goes such a long way for us because it reminds us to enjoy it,” Smith said. “We can get so caught up in the stress and the pressure and the situation, that you forget to smile.”

Hayes reminds them to do so every day.

“It’s so refreshing, honestly, because I know her job can’t be easy,” Smith said. “I know her job is so stressful. But she is just so light-hearted, just so happy to be here and happy to be here with us.

“She’s amazing.”

In a social-media clip that circulated during the Olympics, Rodman asked Hayes if she was feeling festive that particular day.

“I’m feeling American,” said Hayes, pointing out her red-painted nails, blue pants and white shirt. Hayes then added that she was bringing in a nail technician for manicures.

“For real?” Smith said in the video.

“I’m being real for real,” Hayes said.

Don’t confuse Hayes’ humor for softness, either. She won seven Women’s Super League championships coaching Chelsea. With the USWNT, Hayes is equally demanding, Swanson said. It was this week she said she wants players to “suffer” on the pitch as she rebuilds the program to international glory.

“I think the one thing I love most about Emma is that she has the perfect balance of being serious but then you also see her goofy side too,” Swanson said. “I think seeing that side of a coach helps a lot because we’re all human and she does such a good job of showing that.”

The understanding that everybody has invisible, internal battles they deal with daily goes a long way, Rodman said. That helps them play more free because they know Hayes isn’t shooting them with eye daggers from the sidelines.

“She’s hilarious and she has such a big personality,” Rodman said.

Smith said she has never been around a coach like Hayes. Lorne Donaldson of the NWSL’s Chicago Red Stars is a “big goofball” and coached Smith in her youth. He’s also has mastered the balance between seriousness and levity.

“He gets on people, and Emma does too,” Smith said. “I think I learn best that way. If I’m not doing something, I want you to get on me and she’s not afraid to do that either.”

Swanson said nerves are present with anything new – especially having a new coach. But Hayes’ résumé, combined with living up to everything they’d heard about her, put any anxiety to rest.

“She cares so deeply for her players, and you can see that by her kind of goofing around with us with her just being her,” Swanson said. “The trust that we have in her is so much. I’ve been learning so much from her and I’m just super, super thankful that she’s here.”

The way Smith described Hayes’ arrival was that she “came flying in.” She knows what to say and when to say it. Hayes has communicated each player's roles clearly – something not every coach excels at.

“We're really lucky to have her,” Smith said, “and excited for her to be our coach for hopefully a very long time.”

If that’s the case, there will be lots of laughing over the years for the USWNT.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: USWNT's Emma Hayes is 'hilarious,' and it's made an impact at Olympics