The Washington Spirit made it official today, announcing that Kris Ward is now the club’s head coach on a permanent basis. Ward, who stepped in after Richie Burke was suspended and eventually dismissed in the aftermath of allegations of abuse, helped a Spirit side rocked by a wide variety of crises to settle into an incredible late-season run that ended with the club’s first-ever NWSL title.
Under Ward, the Spirit’s official record in regular season play and in the postseason is 9W-3D-2L, with those losses both coming via forfeits due to Covid-19 protocol breaches.