Houston Dash appoint Fabrice Gautrat as the team's new head coach after Fran Alonso did not return from leave of absence

Houston Dash has appointed the husband of a former USWNT star as the successor to Alonso, after the coach did not return from personal leave

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Dash parted ways with Alonso on October 1, over three months after he last coached the team. The club initially put his non-attendance down to "illness" and then referred to it as a "leave of absence". When unveiled as the new coach of Deportivo La Coruna in November, Alonso told media that there "was not a health issue" but that he could not discuss all the details due to a "confidentiality agreement". He also said his exit and relationship with Houston as "amicable".

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ricky Clarke was in interim charge of the Dash from June 28, but the club has now been able to appoint a permanent successor to Alonso. Fabrice Gautrat is the team's new head coach, it was announced on Friday.

• WHAT GAUTRAT SAID

  Speaking upon the announcement of his appointment, Gautrat said: "I am incredibly excited and honored to be named the next head coach of the Houston Dash. From the very beginning of the process, there was a clear alignment of vision and values in my conversations with Angela [Hucles Mangano, Houston's president of women's soccer] and club leadership. Their commitment to building a strong culture as the foundation for excellence on and off the field really resonated with me. I look forward to working with the club to build something special that the city of Houston can take great pride in. Together, we will work to make the Dash a consistent contender in the NWSL."

  Mangano added: "Throughout our search it was evident that Fabrice would be an excellent fit to lead our team as the next head coach. He has empowered players across the league over the last five years to win trophies and achieve sustained success. His devotion to the game and the development of our players will be critical to the transformation we envision for the Dash. We are thrilled to welcome him to Houston and look forward to what he brings to the organization in the upcoming season and for years to come."

• DID YOU KNOW?

  A former player, Gautrat has experience in the NWSL an assistant coach at the Chicago Red Stars and the North Carolina Courage. In 2017, he married Morgan Brian, the USWNT midfielder who won the World Cup in 2015 and 2019 and currently plays for the Orlando Pride. The 31-year-old helped Orlando win the NWSL Shield and Championship in the 2024 season.

• Imagn

  WHAT NEXT FOR THE HOUSTON DASH?

  Houston will hope this appointment has lead to bigger and better things for the team in 2025. Last year, the Dash finished bottom of the regular season standings, winning just five of its 26 games.