Angel City FC fires head coach Becki Tweed

1 week ago 36

ARTICLE AD

Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Angel City FC has fired head coach Becki Tweed after one full season in charge, the club announced on Monday. The change comes less than a week after the departure of former general manager Angela Hucles Mangano and continues an overhaul of the club under new ownership.

Tweed took over as interim coach midway through 2023 and guided the Los Angeles-based Angel City to its first playoff appearance in its second year as a club. She led the team to an 11-game unbeaten streak during that stretch, enough to earn her the head coach job full time ahead of the 2024 season.

This year, however, was marked by disappointment on and off the field. Angel City finished 12th out of 14 teams with just 24 points after a three-point deduction for salary cap violations. The team still would have finished 10th and five points off the playoff line without the deductions.

“Despite the challenges and results of a tough season, Becki’s resilience and determination leave a lasting impression,” Angel City FC technical director Mark Wilson, who was recently hired, said in a statement. “She departs ACFC well-respected, and we have no doubt wherever she lands next, her talents and character will make a signicant impact. We thank Becki for her contributions over the past two seasons and wish her the very best in her journey ahead.”

Assistant coach Eleri Earnshaw will act as interim head coach until a full-time hire is made. Angel City now needs a new GM and head coach as the New Year approaches.

New team owners Willow Bay and Bob Iger closed on majority ownership of Angel City in September at an NWSL record valuation of $250 million.

Bay, who is dean of the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, said since early news of the takeover in July that facilities and improved play on the field would be areas of focus for the new owners. The team recently announced a major upgrade to its practice facility challenges. Parting with both Hucles Mangano and Tweed represents a restart on the field.

Hucles Mangano and team president Julie Uhrman were suspended from roster-making decisions by the NWSL through the end of 2024 for five instances of salary cap evasion discovered from 2023 contracts. The team was also docked three points – a first instance in league history – and fined $200,000, which is the maximum fine the commissioner can unilaterally issue.

The conclusion of that league investigation came only weeks after Bay and Iger closed on the sale of the team.

Tweed was Angel City’s second coach. Freya Coombe was hired as the first head coach for the 2022 expansion team. She was fired in June 2023, when Tweed took over.

Tweed joined Angel City as an assistant ahead of the 2023 season after three years in the same role at NJ/NY Gotham FC, where she ended her playing career.