# Emma Hayes Calls for More Women Head Coaches in Soccer
U.S. women’s national team coach Emma Hayes is urging soccer organizations to create more opportunities for women to lead teams. Her call comes as the United States prepares to face Spain, with Hayes and Spain coach Sonia Bermúdez set to manage the world’s top two-ranked national teams.
Hayes says women coaches often face greater barriers than men when seeking interviews and jobs—and may have fewer chances to return to coaching after leaving a position. She believes soccer needs stronger representation at the highest levels, including more women serving as national team head coaches.
## Hayes Highlights Barriers for Women Coaches
Speaking ahead of the United States’ second matchup with Spain, Hayes described the challenges women encounter throughout coaching careers. In her view, women can find it difficult not only to secure an interview or land a job, but also to remain in coaching and receive another opportunity later.
Hayes said expectations for women coaches can be higher than those placed on their male counterparts. She also pointed to a persistent imbalance in how coaching careers develop: men may be offered another role after leaving a job, while women are less likely to get the same opportunity.
Her comments draw attention to a broader issue in soccer: improving access to coaching roles requires more than encouraging women to enter the profession. Teams and governing bodies also need to provide pathways for women to advance and continue working in the game.
## More Female Head Coaches Are Needed
Hayes praised several prominent women in coaching, including Sarina Wiegman and Sonia Bompastor, while stressing that more representation is needed. She supports rules requiring at least one female technical staff member, but said she would like to see the game go further by appointing more women as national team head coaches.
The United States-Spain matchup offers a visible example of women leading at the highest level. Hayes manages the USWNT, while Bermúdez leads Spain. Hayes’s own career has included coaching in the United States and building a successful team at Chelsea in England’s Women’s Super League before taking charge of the national team.
## Representation in the NWSL and Beyond
The coaching gender gap is also evident in club soccer. At the time of Hayes’s comments, 11 of the 16 National Women’s Soccer League teams were led by male coaches.
Past NWSL appointments have included coaches such as Landon Donovan, Richie Burke and Chris Armas, who had not coached women’s teams before taking those roles. Playing experience and professional connections can help candidates access coaching opportunities, but those routes are not always equally available to women in the sport.
That imbalance makes it harder to develop and identify future leaders. More opportunities for women coaches across club and international soccer could help create a deeper pool of experienced candidates.
## Building a Stronger Pathway for Women Coaches
Hayes’s call is ultimately about changing how soccer organizations hire, support and retain coaches. Requirements for women on technical staffs can help improve representation, but sustained progress also depends on investment, fair access to interviews and jobs, and meaningful chances to move into leadership positions.
As women’s soccer continues to grow, expanding opportunities for female head coaches could strengthen the sport at every level. Hayes is encouraging governing bodies to turn support for representation into practical action—and to make it possible for the next generation of coaches to build lasting careers in soccer.