Real Salt Lake announced Laura Harvey as the inaugural National Women’s Soccer League Head Coach on Monday, a step that solidifies the intentions of the club to bring only the best in women’s soccer to the club. With Harvey’s hiring, the club brings in a head coach with a wealth of NWSL experience as well as an unprecedented résumé to the Utah club.
Harvey comes to Salt Lake City after spending five years at the helm of the Seattle Reign where she led the team to the league’s second-best all-time regular season record. Harvey in total registered 51 wins, 33 losses and 26 draws for the Reign, equal to 179 total points over 110 matches.
In 2014 and 2015 Harvey led the Reign to two NWSL Finals while earning the NWSL Shield, meriting two NWSL Coach of the Year Awards.
During her time in Seattle, Harvey turned the club into a league powerhouse after arriving when the club was one of the worst in the NWSL. Conducting an overhaul after the club finished the league’s inaugural season in second to last place in 2013, she led the Reign to a 54-point season in 2014 – good for the NWSL’s all-time best regular-season finish.
In the same season, the Reign also tied the all-time wins total with 16 wins while earning a league best season goal differential of +30 and the longest unbeaten run of 16 matches.
Leading the Utah club into its inaugural season in Spring of 2018, Harvey will inherit a roster of players from FC Kansas City that boast international experience that includes U.S. Women’s National Team members Becky Sauerbrunn, Sydney Leroux and Amy Rodriguez – as well as Canada international Desiree Scott. Additionally, the roster includes forwards Shea Groom and Maegan Kelly – who each had five goals in 2017 – as well as goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart, defenders Brittany Taylor and Christina Gibbons and midfielder Lo’eau LaBonta.
