Houston Dash, Fran Alonso part ways after coach’s three-month absence

Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

The Houston Dash have parted ways with head coach Fran Alonso three months after his disappearance from the sidelines, the club announced on Tuesday.

Alonso has not coached a match for the Dash since June 22. Houston initially described his absence as due to an “illness” before more recently calling it a leave of absence.

The Dash said on Tuesday that the decision to part ways was “in lieu of a return from [Alonso’s] leave of absence.”

Ricky Clarke will remain the interim coach for the rest of the season, as has been the case since he assumed the role for the June 28 match against the Kansas City Current.

Houston said in its statement that the team will soon hire a general manager, who will be tasked with hiring the next head coach. Houston has been without a general manager since firing Alex Singer in late July.

Dash president of business operations Jess O’Neill, and team representatives, have repeatedly declined to elaborate on the reason for or circumstances around Alonso’s three-month hiatus from the team.

“As we all know there is room for speculation and rumors, but we are very cognizant of respecting coach’s privacy,” O’Neill told The Equalizer in July. “And ultimately anybody else from a staffing standpoint who is on a leave of absence, we do the same regardless of their position.”

ESPN previously reported that former Orlando Pride general manager Erik Ustruck is operating in an advisor role for the Dash to oversee roster moves.

Houston sits last in the NWSL with four games to play. The Dash have just four wins and 17 points from 22 games.

Clarke is the sixth different person to coach the Dash since the start of 2022, including interims.

“I think the first seven years of the Dash’s existence is something that is behind us and in a lot of ways don’t want to replicate,” O’Neill previously told The Equalizer. “We know that it was not resourced similarly to other clubs across the league. We’ve delivered on that from an investment standpoint and will continue to do that. It is a very different Houston Dash from the point that [owner] Ted Segal came on board.”