The Washington Spirit have fired head coach Mark Parsons after one season — just days after the club failed to reach the playoffs for a second consecutive year.
Parsons led Washington to an eighth-place finish in the 12-team National Women’s Soccer League. However, with 30 points, the Spirit (7-9-6) ended their campaign one point shy from qualifying to the playoffs.
“We are grateful for Mark’s contributions in the 2023 season,” President of Soccer Operations Mark Krikorian said in a statement. “He helped lay a strong foundation and set us on a path to excellence. We wish him all the best in the future.”
Parsons missed Washington’s final game of the regular season against North Carolina on Sunday due to yellow card accumulation. The Spirit, who needed to win to qualify for the playoffs, went down to 10 players after Trinity Rodman received a red card before losing 1-0.
Parsons was seen postgame at Audi Field, comforting players and thanking them for “starting the foundation” for the club’s future, assistant coach Mike Bristol said during his postgame press conference. With the season over, club officials planned to meet with coaching and medical staff members this week.
In a statement, Parsons said it was a “privilege” to be back in the D.C. region and believed that the Spirit is “well-positioned for success moving forward.”
“While I am disappointed to not be returning to the Spirit in 2024, I wish Michele [Kang] and everyone at the club my gratitude and best wishes,” Parsons said.
Parsons returned to Washington at the end of the 2022 season following a stint as the head coach of the Netherlands women’s national team. He previously coached the Spirit for its first three seasons in the NWSL between 2013-2015 before leaving to manage the Portland Thorns. His success in the Pacific Northwest, winning the NWSL Shield twice, the NWSL Championship in 2020 and the Challenge Cup in 2021, led to high hopes on what could be done with Washington.
After a solid start to the 2023 season, the Spirit began to faltered in the summer months when key players left D.C. to participate in the Women’s World Cup, like midfielders Ashely Sanchez and Andi Sullivan and goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury. With the remaining roster filled with young but inexperienced players, Washington failed to get out of the group stage of the Challenge Cup tournament.
Once their starters returned, the Spirit still struggled to score and earn results. Washington won only one of their final seven regular-season games, scoring only four times during that span.
Washington now enters the offseason looking for its sixth coach in three years. Owner Michelle Kang, who also owns French side Lyon, has already stated that the Spirit may go through a rebrand as the club looks to continue growing its presence in the D.C. market by looking for land for a new training facility.
To match her investment, she will be looking for a new coach to lead Washington to consecutive playoff appearances, a feat not done since the 2015-2016 seasons, which will turn into championship glory.
