Houston Dash GM still in search of 'stability and structure' after letting go of Sam Laity

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- There's only one women's professional soccer team in Texas, and it's here in Houston.

While the Dash has experienced some success, like reaching the National Women's Soccer League playoffs last season, the team also saw some turnover and controversy, especially lately.

The most recent headline came Wednesday morning when the Dash fired head coach Sam Laity less than nine months after he was hired as the club's fourth-ever manager.

"We have high ambitions and continuously work to build a competitive team that will represent the city at a high level," Dash general manager Alex Singer wrote in a statement. "After considerable evaluation as to what is best for the team at this time, we made the decision to make a change. On behalf of the Club, community, and our team, I want to thank Sam for his dedication and contributions to our organization. We sincerely wish him all the best."

The move comes amid a brutal stretch of soccer for the Dash, a squad that hosted a NWSL playoff match last season. Under Laity's leadership in 2023, the team has not won an NWSL match since June 3. With four games remaining in the regular season, the team sits in third-to-last place in the standings but still has a chance to reach a second-straight postseason.

"I think because this potentially was not the long-term solution, it didn't make any sense in my mind to continue," Singer said during an interview Wednesday afternoon. "Rather than go about the process and the rest of the season, since we did know, we felt it was best to make a timely decision."

Singer said while Laity's abrupt dismissal was due to shortcomings both on and off the field, the move was not related to the mistreatment of players.

In April 2022, then-head coach James Clarkson was suspended by the club. Eight months later, the NWSL and the players union's joint investigation revealed Clarkson engaged in emotional misconduct. As a result, the team did not renew his contract and issued an apology to players - both past and present - who were subject to misconduct by Clarkson and 2018 head coach Vera Pauw.

In 2022, en route to the postseason and after suspending Clarkson, the Dash employed an acting head coach, Sarah Lowdon, followed by an interim head coach, Juan Carlos Amorós. During Laity's introductory press conference on Dec. 21, Singer said she wanted "stability and structure" for her team. Less than nine months later, the team is searching for another head coach.

"I still stand behind that," Singer admitted when asked about stability after firing Laity before completing his first season. "It's definitely disappointing this didn't work out and I will acknowledge that. Long term, I do feel this group and the team in general need stability and structure in order to achieve everything we want to."

"The core group of players that were here last year and experienced some coaching changes and are still here now - they are incredibly resilient," Dash president Jessica O'Neill added. "These are the best athletes in the world on the field. They're dedicated to their craft and have really broad shoulders."

In light of Laity's dismissal, the team will name its latest interim head coach in the near future, with the hope to have another full-time head coach - one with prior head coaching experience - hired by November.

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