The Orlando Pride Announce Seb Hines As Their New Head Coach

Seb Hines is the new head coach of the Orlando Pride. The former Middlesbrough and Derby County defender entered his first press conference, as permanent head coach of the Orlando Pride, as if he had an impression to make. In a smart, crisp suit the Englishman appeared confident, yet nervous. ‘I feel so awkward wearing this suit’ he quipped, much to the amusement of the assembled press.

Even through my Zoom connection, I could tell there was an edge to Hines. He looked nervy, but still had more than a hint of self assurance about him. That might sound something of an oxymoron, but it’s the measure of the man. He is a confident coach, but he’s also very humble. The gravitas of the job that now lies in front of him, is certainly not lost on Hines. He is passionate about the Orlando Pride and the City Beautiful. He wants to do well.

‘I want to bring success to this team… I want to be the first coach to win silverware here’.

This job means a lot to him. His apparent nerves did little to bely his obvious passion for the job.

Home

Ever since his arrival at the Pride’s MLS affiliate, Orlando City, in 2015, Hines has called central Florida home. During his playing days, he earned the title ‘Headmaster Hines’; thanks, in no small part, to his 4 headed goals vs Brasil’s Bahia in 2016. Now he really is the headmaster. The latest coach charged with ending the Pride’s play-off hiatus.

Throughout the press conference, his passion for the city of Orlando is abundantly clear. His family live in the area, and want to remain there for years to come. It‘s fair to say that he has fallen in love with the city. He feels apart of the community… Which perhaps brings its own pressures:

‘This community is great, it’s brilliant. They have really taken to me… I feel a responsibility to bring success to this city.’

It’s that responsibility that drives him. The Pride supporter base have endured some truly tumultuous periods since their one and only play-off appearance in 2017. They’ll be desperate for Hines to bring that era to a conclusion.

Re-energising the fanbase

There’s a lot riding on Hines’ appointment. Not only does he have to ensure success on the field, but he has to work to re-engage an increasingly disinterested fanbase. The Pride’s average home attendances have dipped from 8,983 in 2016 to 4,385 in 2022.

Entertaining and, more importantly, winning soccer is sure to put bums on seats. And that’s a key focus point for Hines this year. And to do that, Hines feels he needs to cultivate the culture of expression he began to ferment during a challenging 2022 season. Hines told Sporting Her, when asked how important it is for the players to have freedom to express themselves in 2023, of the importance of mentality in breeding that culture:

‘There was a difference in the player’s mentality when we went into games… What you’ll find next year is a team that’s going to work hard… And to entertain the fans.’

Entertain the fans. That last statement felt significant. After all, it’s not been much fun seeing the Pride lose week after week; as has been the case a fair amount over recent seasons. I think it’s fair to surmise that there’s a correlation between the Pride’s performances and the subsequent fall in attendances at Exploria Stadium.

The 2023 NWSL season offers a real opportunity for the Pride. Last season was meant to be a transformative year for the club. It was anything but that. Amanda Cromwell’s suspension, for her heinous acts of retaliation, plunged the Pride into uncertainty. Hines did well to steady the ship, grinding out some impressive wins, such as the memorable 1-0 win at Casey Stoney’s San Diego Wave.

Preparing for 2023

In terms of his support staff, Hines was candid in pointing out just how important Giles Barnes and Miguel Gallardo were in helping him to develop his philosophy with the Pride. Nothing has been announced yet, but you get the feeling that both former Orlando City players could be involved next year, with the Pride.

There were several questions pertaining to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Hines said it was important that he helped push the players to develop, thus allowing them a chance to gain international recognition. He also told Sporting Her of the challenges the tournament presents for NWSL clubs:

‘We lost nearly our full roster in 2019… We want to improve the squad, and if players earn the right to go, you go with it. We’ll adapt as we need to.’

Hines has a job on his hands this season. The Pride are desperate for success. They are well placed for it. Armed with a young, but very exciting roster, and a wealth of draft picks he has every chance of fulfilling his ambition of becoming the first head coach to lift silverware with the Orlando Pride.

For the full press conference see below.