The 44-year-old Olsen, who was fired as coach of D.C. United in October, said in a statement that it was “time for a new challenge for me and the opportunity to help grow the Spirit, soccer in the city I love, and the women’s game was too great to pass up.”
Olsen’s hiring comes at a turbulent time for the Spirit, whose former coach, Richie Burke, stepped down last month after former players accused him of verbally and emotionally abusing them. The club is in the midst of a struggle for control between two co-owners, Y.