ORLANDO, Fla. (Aug. 30, 2024) — The Orlando Pride and Haley Carter have agreed to a multi-year contract extension that will see Carter remain with the Club through the 2026 season, with an option for 2027. In her second season at the helm, Carter currently has the Pride sitting atop the National Women’s Soccer League standings, unbeaten through the first 17 games of the season and recently setting the league’s record for longest streak without a loss.
In addition, it was announced today that Carter’s title will be updated to VP of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director, a move that aligns with the Club’s future vision and goals for the Pride organization.
“Haley’s work and influence has been instrumental in our goals to build the Pride into a model sports franchise, not just in women’s soccer but across all of sports. She has worked tirelessly to help us build a first-class working environment for both our players and staff, and we believe her leadership will guide us to many years of long-term success. We are very excited to reward her with a new contract and to support the vision she has for the future of the Pride,” said Orlando Pride Chairman, Mark Wilf. “Our fans and players are in the best possible hands with Haley and Seb Hines leading our Pride soccer operations, and we are look forward to seeing what more they will accomplish this year and beyond.”
“I’m really excited. Obviously, the opportunity to get to continue what we’re building here in Orlando, working with the Wilf Family and our entire ownership group, with our athletes, working collectively with Seb and our soccer staff, and with our front office staff, it’s an inspiring group to be a part of,” Carter said. “This is just the beginning. I can't wait to continue the journey and continue building off of the foundation we've created in the last 18 months. We've broken some records, and we found some success on the field and off the field. But we want to ultimately bring championships and trophies to Orlando. The work never stops.”
Carter, whose background includes time as an international coach, lawyer and Marine Corps officer, has helped turnaround the Pride soccer operations over the previous two seasons – both on the field and in the locker room. Working alongside Head Coach Seb Hines, who also recently signed an extension, the Pride also set the NWSL’s consecutive wins record and allowed just 12 goals through 17 games. In total, Orlando has compiled a 22-11-6 regular season record since both Carter and Hines took the helm.
Carter led the Club’s record setting acquisition of Zambian forward Barbra Banda ahead of the 2024 campaign. Acquired via the second-highest transfer fee in women’s soccer and signed in one of the largest all-in investments of a player, Banda currently leads the Pride with 12 goals on the year and sits one spot outside of the Golden Boot lead.
Carter has also acquired numerous players to bolster the Pride since the start of the 2023 season, such as Women’s World Cup champion Morgan Gautrat and Brazilian Olympic medalists Adriana, Rafaelle and Angelina. Additionally, Carter has negotiated long-term contracts for multiple players, securing long-term roster stability for the league-leading team.
Backed by ownership investment, the Pride Soccer Operations team has also seen significant growth in resources and staffing through Carter’s leadership, including dedicated staff added to medical and performance, scouting and player support. The group’s scouting led to successful 2023 and 2024 NWSL Drafts, including the selections of Emily Sams, Summer Yates, Ally Lemos and Cori Dyke, who have all played significant roles in the Pride’s successes thus far.
The Pride return to the confines of Inter&Co Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 1, set to host NJ/NY Gotham FC in a 6 p.m. ET kickoff. The match will mark the Pride’s first home game since the Paris 2024 Olympics, with tickets available at Orlando-Pride.com/tickets. 2025 Season Ticket Memberships are also on sale at the link here.
