By: Javier Mico-Crump
On Friday, September 4, Jimmy Coenraets emerged from the tunnel at America First Field and took his place on the touchline for the 50th time as head coach of the Utah Royals in an NWSL match. With only eight games remaining in the 2026 season, the Royals hosted Boston Legacy FC for the first time, sitting in third place in the league standings — deservedly among the NWSL’s best — and eyeing the Club’s first-ever playoff berth. It is far from the Utah Royals side that Coenraets took over less than two years ago. But while Utah’s historic year might be surprising to many, for Coenraets, his staff and the players, it's the result of a deliberate process that’s taken patience, trust and resilience to execute.
In July of 2024, just a month after moving to the United States to serve as an assistant coach for the Royals, Coenraets was asked to take on the interim head coach role when on-field struggles led to leadership changes in the middle of the season. The transition wasn’t easy. Not only was he still adjusting to life in a new country, but he was also taking over for Amy Rodriguez, someone he describes as “the biggest legend of the Club,” who was — and still is — beloved by fans.
“It just all happened very quickly,” said Coenraets. “I came in from a very heavy head coaching job in Belgium, and I wanted to sit in someone's shadow and learn more about the country's culture first before looking at whatever possibilities were. After working with the girls and meeting some of the players, I was really appreciative of how the group functions and what they wanted to do. I think that made me say yes [to becoming interim head coach]. I'm a person with ambition, so I didn't mind the idea.”
From day one, Coenraets has felt the support of Royals fans. He still remembers the crowd from his first home NWSL game — an August evening when he stepped onto America First Field with the new responsibilities of an interim head coach.
“It was a game with the highest attendance I've ever coached in my life,” Coenraets recalled. “That was my first impression of playing at home, which was big for me as a coach as well — just feeling the support during that game. We have a crowd and community that cares about the players, but they also want to feel connected to what we do. That's something I really appreciate in this crowd.”
That night, Utah prevailed 2-1 against a strong Bay FC side that went on to make the playoffs. It was the first of five games that Coenraets would go on to win as the interim (5-3-2, W-L-T), tripling the Royals’ point total compared to the first half of the season, and leading to his announcement as permanent head coach in October of 2024.
In Coenraets’ first full year, the Royals experienced significant struggles on the field, sitting in last place of the NWSL for much of the season. But for a new team in one of the world’s best soccer leagues, that struggle was natural. Coenraets embraced it, analyzed it, and found ways to attack it.
“Everyone that I've talked to that has joined the NWSL says the same: ‘it's a different animal’,” Coenraets said. “As a leader and a coach, it demands and pushes you into developing yourself in so many different ways. We had to find a way of turning things around, and I think I went back to the basics — understanding what the group is really good at and relying on that. What we're seeing today is a good result of understanding what the players are good at, what they enjoy, and how we actually can benefit from those assets within this competition.”
Amidst disappointing results on the field, Coenraets accepted the pressure of his new role while also leaning on others for support. He credits his players — team leaders such as Kate Del Fava, Paige Cronin and Mandy McGlynn for providing insights into how the league functions. He credits his staff for bringing in different experiences and ways of thinking about the game. And he credits the front office — Sporting Director Kelly Cousins, General Manager Connor Oniki and President of Soccer Operations Jason Kreis — for giving him time to implement a long-term vision while he developed as a coach.
“I think a lot of coaches would probably not be here any more after the first 10 games of 2025,” Coenraets stated. “The club came back to me with more of a plan of like ‘look, here's what we want you to focus on, here are elements we want you to get better at, here's how we're going to support you, and here's how we're going to do it.’ That allowed me to develop myself amongst the group and to become who I am today, which is still not who I need to be to be the best possible coach, but it's getting closer and closer. I think that's a developmental piece that I was able to receive through the club.”
With time, the tide began to shift. Utah rattled off a seven-game win streak to end the 2025 season, and fans began to notice something different about their team. A new Royals culture was being built behind the scenes, and the long-term plan was paying off.
“When I look at the culture that we want to have, we support each other and we have each other's back, that's the biggest one,” Coenraets explained. “We want to rise to the challenge and I think that's linked to being competitive in every single game. Those are really elements that I want people to recognize in us, and I think the biggest piece we've added this season is the mental resilience of ‘whatever happens, we'll find a way’.”
In 2026, the Royals’ rebuilding process continued to take shape through wins on the pitch. The competitiveness that Coenraets emphasized has become a staple of Utah soccer, with a style of play that's recognizable throughout the league for its verticality and aggressive high press. The Royals have shattered records in Coenraets’ second full season, starting with a historic 10-game unbeaten streak, securing Club highs in wins (12) and points (39), and scoring the most goals in the NWSL (39) — all with eight games remaining. Through both the highs and lows, support from fans has been crucial.
“We've been in a very bad place last season, being dead last and really being at rock bottom, but you have people who kept on showing up for the same reasons: for the players, for the joy of the community, and for the togetherness,” Coenraets shared. “I think that's what brought us to where we're at right now and keeps us there as well.”
Despite the Royals seemingly making history every week, Coenraets knows there is still a long way to go. He continues to trust the process with both short term goals — weekly wins and a first playoff berth — and long term goals — winning titles and sustained success.
“If you look at [the team] today and you compare it with a year ago, I think a lot of the pieces are the same, but better,” Coenraets reflected. “But then again, we have to find ways to compete with the best in this league. We've not won against Washington this season, we've not won against San Diego this season. That's the next step you gotta make. Can we find different ways to compete with some of the best players and some of the best teams in the league, because that will put us in an even better place than we are right now.”
A lot has changed for Jimmy Coenraets since his first NWSL game as a head coach. The league has expanded, players have come and gone, and his tactics and understanding of the game have evolved over the course of 50 matches. His focus on and commitment to the Royals, however, remains the same. He recognizes that this historic season has been a collective effort, from both Club and Community, worthy of celebration — but ultimately just another step toward building what comes next.
“I'm very lucky to be surrounded by a lot of people that were with me in 2024, and they can acknowledge the fact that I'm not the same person,” Coenraets said. “The building is really healthy because we make changes, and I think there is a relationship of trust amongst the people here. Being able to work with this group, a hungry group that wants to achieve something very special, is something that as a coach that you feel you could have an impact with. That's something I'm very grateful for.”
