Vlatko Andonovski Resigns as USWNT Coach After Historic 2023 Women's World Cup Loss

Head coach Vlatko Andonovski and the United States women's national team have agreed to mutually part ways following his nearly four-year tenure as boss of the world's No.1-ranked program, it was announced Thursday.

Andonovski said in a statement:

"It's been the honor of my life to coach the talented, hard-working players of the USWNT for the past four years. I'm very optimistic for the future of this program, especially considering all the young players that got opportunities over the past few years who will no doubt be leaders and impact players moving forward. While we are all disappointed by the outcome at this year's World Cup, I am immensely proud of the progress this team has made, the support they've shown for each other, and the inspiration they've provided for players around the world. I will be forever thankful to the U.S. Soccer Federation for giving me the chance to coach this remarkable team."

Twila Kilgore, who has served as an assistant for more than one year, was named interim head coach of the USWNT.

Andonovski, who was hired as the replacement for Jill Ellis in October 2019, might not be a free agent for long as he "has drawn interest from multiple teams at the international and club levels," according to The Athletic's Meg Linehan.

His decision to step down comes after he downplayed the discussion surrounding his future with the USWNT following its elimination from the 2023 Women's World Cup with a round-of-16 loss to Sweden on penalties.

Andonovski told reporters at the time:

"I think it's selfish to think about me, my future, what I'm gonna do, when we have 20-year-old players going through the moment, going through this situation. I want be there for them. I love them. I love them all. And they're my players, but they're my friends. We spent four years together. They got their first caps with me. They got their first national team call-ups with me. We spend times, tough times, good times. So I don't want to see them like that. That's all I think about."

The 46-year-old instantly came under fire after the USWNT suffered its earliest-ever FIFA Women's World Cup exit this summer, with numerous fans calling for the federation to replace him.

Andonovski's decisions were questioned before the World Cup even began—mainly due to his squad selection—and he faced immense criticism during the tournament for the team's inability to score and his lack of substitutions, among other things.

The USWNT ended the World Cup with a 238-minute scoring drought, which is unacceptable given the caliber of scoring talent on the roster, including Alex Morgan, Rose Lavelle, Lindsey Horan, Sophia Smith and Trinity Rodman.

With Andonovski at the helm, the United States did not win either of its major tournaments, having taken home a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Additionally, the team won just four of its 10 matches in the Olympics and World Cup combined during his tenure.

Andonovski's contract with the USWNT was set to expire at the end of the calendar year, a U.S. Soccer Federation spokesman told Henry Bushnell of Yahoo Sports earlier this month. He posted a 51-5-9 record overall with the U.S. women.

It's unclear who the U.S. Soccer Federation might have in mind to replace Andonovski. However, the person who gets the job will oversee a roster transitioning from legendary players in Morgan and Megan Rapinoe to young stars like Smith, Rodman and Naomi Girma.