English coaching duo take unlikely route on way to NWSL title glory
To followers of women's football in the United States, they are the English coaching duo who have delivered unprecedented success to a previously trophyless club; to English football fans with particularly sharp memories, they are the former Middlesbrough and Derby youngsters who left to play in the MLS. To each other, Seb Hines and Giles Barnes are just old mates, stretching back to their days sharing a room together on England youth international camps.
'It brings an unwavering trust. We can challenge each other and there's no ill intent behind it,' is how Barnes sums up the benefits of a head coach and his assistant being longtime friends. Yet the unlikely chain of events that led to their reunion in Florida is almost as improbable as Orlando Pride leaping from 10th place to the title in two years.
Advertisement
Related: Hannah Hampton aims to live up to Mary Earps' legacy as England No 1
Hines may never have moved to the United States had it not been for a call to Barnes. When Hines was contemplating leaving Middlesbrough in 2015, it was Barnes – playing for Houston Dynamo at the time – who helped make up his mind.
'I asked Giles: 'What's the lifestyle like? Is it right for my family? And what's the standard like?' And he sold it to me. He said: 'This is a growing league. You get to play against some of the best players in the world.' Maybe if I hadn't had that conversation, I might be stacking shelves in England or something,' recalls Hines, who knew he had made the right choice on making his Orlando City debut in front of 62,510 alongside Kaká.
Barnes's own life-changing move to the MLS had come three years earlier, after a string of serious injuries while at Doncaster after spells at West Brom and his initial breakthrough at Derby.
Advertisement
'As a young kid, I had a lot going for me. Then I got injured pretty severely to the point where I was told to retire,' Barnes says. 'After I came back from knee surgery, I snapped my Achilles twice. When I was playing for Doncaster, I wasn't enjoying football and it was purely because I didn't feel like the same player. I was still young and there were still all these expectations and I never really recovered properly from my injury, and that sat with me in a dark place for a long time. I didn't feel football in my body any more. I was a bit heartbroken. I came to the end of that season and I told my dad I was done with football.
'I sat on the couch for I don't know how long and then I got a random phone call from an agent, saying: 'Hey, how do you feel about playing for LA Galaxy?' and I thought: 'OK you've got my attention'. I ended up going to Houston and just enjoying my life, in a new city where no one's asking: 'What happened to Giles Barnes, the wonder kid?' and I could just enjoy football. I started to feel a little better in myself as a human when I started to get the love back for football. I came to MLS in a dark time of my life and in my career and it saved me.'
Barnes would go on to play for Jamaica and have spells in Canada, Mexico and India before getting a break in coaching after the former USA manager Bob Bradley invited him to join Toronto FC during pre-season while, over in Florida, his old roommate's own coaching career was set for an unexpected twist.
Hines had been working on the backroom staff at Orlando Pride when, in 2022, the NWSL club placed then head coach Amanda Cromwell on leave and Hines was promoted to interim head coach. Cromwell was later sacked after 'engaging in retaliatory conduct' towards players who had complained against her in a previous investigation.
Advertisement
The team needed a reset and Hines knew who to call. 'It was a no-brainer to bring Giles in,' Hines says. 'We started out with the culture. We made training fun and enjoyable, but hard work as well. We have to make sure it's enjoyable because you can't hate playing football, it's the best job in the world.'
Barnes adds: 'It was simple – I wanted to help him, he's such a good guy. I did have some questions, because the club had been in a little bit of turmoil, they'd had a lot of investigations, and I was just like: 'Seb, what's it going to take?' and he said: 'We need to just get the culture right and it will be good'. And that was it.'
Not only did they change the culture, in 2024 Orlando won the regular-season title and then the playoffs, becoming the first professional sports team from Orlando to win any major trophy 'There are some big, big clubs here,' says Hines, 'so to bring a championship to Orlando was an extremely proud moment. I think everyone can remember the hard times that Orlando Pride have been through [and we] changed the perception by winning both the shield and championship.
Related: Rose Lavelle returns as Emma Hayes names domestic-heavy roster for US friendlies
Advertisement
'It was almost like a rebuild. The investment from the ownership group has been tremendous, really trusting us. Everything has come together nicely, on an upward trajectory. Now it's about trying to sustain success and it not just being a one-off. We've set a standard and expectation now.'
Before that, Hines had already made NWSL history by becoming the league's first Black head coach, something that surprised him: 'I didn't know until I got the job. The league had been going for [more than] 10 years so it came as a bit of a shock. Of course, you would like to see a lot more Black coaches or minorities getting those opportunities to be successful in multiple leagues, and I want to be a role model and to make sure everyone can have the same aspirations.'
A former England youth captain, Hines worked under two old England managers, Steve McLaren and Gareth Southgate, at Middlesbrough as well as the former Scotland manager Gordon Strachan and Tony Mowbray – 'He was great for me, he trusted me and helped me develop' – and finally Aitor Karanka. 'It's not a bad list of coaches,' Hines says. 'I've been able to take little pieces away from them which I've tried to implement here.'
As the NWSL approaches its halfway break – for the Euros – Orlando Pride sit second in the table and Barnes adds: 'It's not just about winning one championship. It's 'can you win another one?'' Barnes and Hines have no intention of stopping.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
McBride scores 15 of her 29 in 4th as Lynx beat Sparks 82-66 without Collier
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Kayla McBride scored 15 of her season-high 29 points in the fourth quarter, Courtney Williams added 18 points and the Minnesota Lynx beat the Los Angeles Sparks 82-66 on Saturday night for their third straight win. Napheesa Collier did not play for the Lynx (12-1). The 2024 WNBA defensive player of the year, Collier left early in the third quarter of Minnesota's 76-62 win over Las Vegas on Tuesday and did not return. Advertisement McBride made 9 of 13 from the field, 5 of 7 from 3-point range, and Williams finished with six assists and four steals. Maria Kliundikova had 12 points, eight rebounds, three steals and two blocks for Minnesota. Sarah Ashlee Barker hit a 3-pointer that gave the Sparks a 59-58 lead with 7:43 remaining in the game. Kliundikova answered with a layup 24 seconds later, McBride added a 3-pointer and a three-point play and Williams made a pull-up jumper with 4:48 left that gave Minnesota a nine-point lead. Dearica Hamby made a layup to cut the deficit to seven before Alanna Smith and McBride hit 3s 31 seconds apart about a minute later. Kelsey Plum scored 11 of her 15 points in the first half, including a layup with 0.2 second left in the second quarter that gave the Sparks a 35-34 lead at halftime. Hamby finished with 13 points and four steals and Azura Stevens had 11 points and nine rebounds. Los Angeles (4-10) has lost 16 of its last 18 against the Lynx, who beat the Sparks 89-75 in Los Angeles on May 18 and 101-78 at home last Saturday. Up next The Sparks play at Chicago and the Lynx at Washington on Tuesday. ___ AP WNBA:
Associated Press
29 minutes ago
- Associated Press
McBride scores 15 of her 29 in 4th as Lynx beat Sparks 82-66 without Collier
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Kayla McBride scored 15 of her season-high 29 points in the fourth quarter, Courtney Williams added 18 points and the Minnesota Lynx beat the Los Angeles Sparks 82-66 on Saturday night for their third straight win. Napheesa Collier did not play for the Lynx (12-1). The 2024 WNBA defensive player of the year, Collier left early in the third quarter of Minnesota's 76-62 win over Las Vegas on Tuesday and did not return. McBride made 9 of 13 from the field, 5 of 7 from 3-point range, and Williams finished with six assists and four steals. Maria Kliundikova had 12 points, eight rebounds, three steals and two blocks for Minnesota. Sarah Ashlee Barker hit a 3-pointer that gave the Sparks a 59-58 lead with 7:43 remaining in the game. Kliundikova answered with a layup 24 seconds later, McBride added a 3-pointer and a three-point play and Williams made a pull-up jumper with 4:48 left that gave Minnesota a nine-point lead. Dearica Hamby made a layup to cut the deficit to seven before Alanna Smith and McBride hit 3s 31 seconds apart about a minute later. Kelsey Plum scored 11 of her 15 points in the first half, including a layup with 0.2 second left in the second quarter that gave the Sparks a 35-34 lead at halftime. Hamby finished with 13 points and four steals and Azura Stevens had 11 points and nine rebounds. Los Angeles (4-10) has lost 16 of its last 18 against the Lynx, who beat the Sparks 89-75 in Los Angeles on May 18 and 101-78 at home last Saturday. Up next The Sparks play at Chicago and the Lynx at Washington on Tuesday. ___ AP WNBA:
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
KPMG Women's PGA Championship showcases cutting-edge platform KPMG Performance Insights
Over the past quarter century, advanced analytics have transformed much of the sports world. Thanks to technology platforms such as the PGA Tour's ShotLink, Tour players, coaches, media and fans now have more performance data at their fingertips than they could ever possibly consume. Relative to other sports leagues, the LPGA was late to the analytics party, but has made up for lost time, thanks to the 2021 introduction of KPMG Performance Insights, which generates the sort of advanced analytics and performance data that had been missing from the women's game for years. LPGA athletes suddenly had a wealth of information to help them make small adjustments in their practice routines or tournament play that would translate into significant performance gains. Hole 17at Sahalee CC - KPMG Performance Insights Branding – 2024 KPMG Women's PGA Championship. Since its inception, KPMG has been relentless in scaling up the platform. In 2022, for example, KPMG Performance Insights added a player dashboard (an example can be found here) with personalized portals that provide access to data and insights. In 2023, in support of KPMG ambassador and U.S. Solheim Cup captain Stacy Lewis, the company provided KPMG Performance Insights tools, such as analyzing 20,000 simulations to identify the optimal pairings for the matches. Those simulations went so far as to identify how players perform under pressure or on certain types of grass. Example of Player Dashboard. Last year KPMG Performance Insights went next level through the incorporation of AI-empowered predictive analytics that provided leading-edge insights for LPGA tournaments. Additionally, to enhance the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, KPMG partnered with T-Mobile to introduce KPMG CHAMPCAST presented by T-Mobile, which leverages ShotLink Pro 2.0 cutting-edge technology to create an immersive experience for fans watching at home or onsite. (An example of KPMG CHAMPCAST can be found here.) Advertisement 'The KPMG Women's PGA Championship is the most tech-forward event on the LPGA,' said Shawn Quill, National Sports Industry Leader at KPMG. 'Through KPMG Performance Insights and KPMG CHAMPCAST presented by T-Mobile, we're providing the players with real-time, shot-level data and analytics. With features like win probabilities, winning score projections, a dedicated player portal, 3D imagery, shot trails and individual shot highlights, players, fans and the media are able to get closer to the action than ever before.' KPMG CHAMPCAST presented by T-Mobile. As has been the case from the outset, KPMG continues to ramp up its platform by adding more features and benefits for players and fans. For the 2025 KPMG Women's PGA Championship, KPMG is providing new, enhanced features through an AI-generated daily recap. Hole-by-hole AI course analytics that will help players decide how best to attack the difficult Fields Ranch East layout at PGA Frisco. This feature will provide players with information on the best way to play each hole and the trouble spots to avoid on the course. Advertisement Based on the KPMG Performance Insights Daily Recap (an example can be found here) from Thursday's first round, there is a 92% chance the cutline falls between +2 and +4. Players will be able to use this data to help them decide how aggressively they will need to play in the second round. As an example, KPMG ambassador Leona Maguire currently sits at even par through 18 holes. Based on insights from the report, a round of 75 Friday gives her a 95% chance to make the weekend. Additional insights from the recap show the relative difficulty of each hole from the first round. For example, hole 6 (a 446-yard par 4 with bunkers protecting the green) currently has a birdie or better percentage of 2% and a bogey or worse percentage of nearly 50%. As players head into their second round, they will know that a score of par on the sixth hole is actually helping them gain strokes on the field. Daily recap graphic. These are all great tools for LPGA fans and media, but they're invaluable to the LPGA players. Advertisement 'As part of our strategy, we are focused on setting the standard for excellence in women's golf,' Quill said. 'We are excited about our new KPMG Performance Insights Daily Recaps that include AI-powered course analysis, which provides players data on how each hole is playing, and AI-generated scoring targets, so the players can see the predicted cut line and winning scores. These powerful insights will equip the players so they can adjust their approach as they prepare for the next round.' This article originally appeared on Golfweek: KPMG Women's PGA Championship showcase advanced analytics platform
