SANDY, Utah, Jan. 6, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — Utah Royals FC announced Monday that the club has agreed to mutually part ways with head coach Laura Harvey so that she may take up a position with U.S. Soccer as the head coach for the U-20 Women’s National Team.
Assistant Coach Scott Parkinson has been named interim head coach while the club conducts a formal search for its next head coach, said a news release from the Utah Royals FC.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed the last two years as the head coach of Utah Royals FC and working with all of the staff involved with the RSL family,” Harvey said, by way of the news release.
“I would like to thank Dell Loy Hansen for the opportunity to lead the brand new Utah Royals FC in the National Women’s Soccer League. Coaching internationally was the only job that would have interested me moving away from this role at Utah Royals FC. I’ve been wanting to get back into coaching international football, so I’m looking forward to the new challenge with the U-20 United States Youth National Team. We are looking to qualify immediately for the U-20 FIFA Women’s World Cup, so I will hit the ground running.”
As the head coach, Harvey will be tasked with leading and preparing the squad for the upcoming 2020 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, jointly hosted by Costa Rica and Panama, a tournament that the United States has won three times.
“When we launched Utah Royals FC, we set out to make the club a destination for top talent around the world and there was no better way to do that than to bring in one of the top professional coaches,” said owner of Utah Royals FC Dell Loy Hansen. “Laura brought instant credibility to Royals FC and it’s been a pleasure working with her. We wish her the best of luck with U.S. Soccer and look forward to seeing top young talent in the U.S. develop under her tutelage.”
Harvey joined Utah Royals FC prior to the club’s inaugural season in 2018. During her two years at the helm Harvey coached the team to a 19-17-12 record, narrowly missing the playoffs in both seasons. She departs with an overall record of 72-52-38, including playoff appearances, good for second in NWSL career wins.
Utah Royals FC is preparing for its third season in the NWSL, bringing back a core that includes U.S. National Team players and World Cup champions Becky Sauerbrunn, Kelley O’Hara and Christen Press as well as Spain’s all-time leading scorer Vero Boquete and World Cup veterans Amy Rodriguez, Rachel Corsie, Desiree Scott, Diana Matheson and Katie Bowen.
