Kris Ward was fired as coach of the reigning NWSL champion Washington Spirit this week following an incident with players at training last Friday that left it, “apparent to me, and to all, that a change was necessary,” club president Mark Krikorian said Thursday.
Krikorian declined to go into detail, but people familiar with the situation said Ward berated a player, prompting others to vocally come to their teammate’s defense.
Tension within the team was already at a breaking point and Ward’s job was in jeopardy amid a 1-6-9 record and 15-game winless streak, said one person, who, like others who knew of the matter, requested anonymity to speak on it.