Houston Dash hire Angel Hucles Mangano as president of women’s soccer

Jessica Alcheh-USA TODAY Sports

The Houston Dash have hired Angela Hucles Mangano as president of women’s soccer for the club and chief soccer officer for the Dash.

Hucles Mangano mutually parted ways with Angel City last week after previously serving as the Los Angeles club’s general manager.

“I’m ecstatic for this new opportunity with the Houston Dash and completely energized for this project ahead of us,” Hucles Mangano said in a statement. “Being able to bring in the experiences I’ve had in this sport to date and provide the type of stability and consistency to the club that served my teams well as a player and executive, will be core components to the high-performance growth of the organization. I’m excited for this transformation and to work with key members of leadership, the staff, the players, the fans and community of Houston.” 

Houston has been searching for both a general manager and a head coach for months after a disastrous season on and off the field.

Alex Singer was fired as Dash general manager in late July for what club president Jess O’Neill said at the time was due to poor results on the field. The Dash finished last in the 14-tream NWSL this season.

“We are thrilled to welcome Angela and her family to Houston. As a trailblazer who has dedicated her life to advancing the sport across all levels, Angela presented an impressive plan for the future of the Houston Dash that aligns with our vision for sustained success on-and-off the pitch,” Houston Dash majority owner Ted Segal said in a statement. “We look forward to the next chapter with Angela leading the mission to elevate the Dash into a consistent contender in the NWSL.” 

Houston spent half the season under interim leadership after former head coach Fran Alonso went absent from the club in late June. The Dash initially described Alonso’s absence as an “illness” before calling it a personal leave. He was fired in September, almost exactly 12 weeks after his disappearance from the sidelines, for failure to return from leave.

Former Houston Dynamo player and Orlando Pride general manager Erik Ustruck has been operating as an advisor – effectively an interim general manager – since August. O’Neill initially targeted early October to hire a new GM, but the process dragged on before restarting entirely in November, multiple sources told The Equalizer at the time. That left the Dash with a short timeline to hire both a GM and a head coach. Hucles Mangano ultimately got a different title than GM but with some similar responsibilities.

Hucles Mangano will be the second GM in the history of the Dash, a team that began playing in the NWSL in 2014 but largely shared resources and staffing with the MLS’ Dynamo for years.

She won two Olympic gold medals and appeared in two World Cups with the United States women’s national team. She played for the Boston Breakers in both WUSA (2001-2003) and WPS (2009).