KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Current will have a new name and a new head coach for the 2022 season, the club confirmed Thursday afternoon.
The Equalizer was the first to report the change was coming.
The National Women’s Soccer League franchise, which was relocated from Salt Lake City to Kansas City in December 2020, went 3-14-7 and finished last in the 10-team league during its inaugural season.
Huw Williams, who served as the club’s head coach, will transition to a front-office role and oversee talent identification.
The Current, who played last season under the name Kansas City NWSL, are in the early stages of hiring Williams’ replacement as head coach, according to the report.
"A search is well underway for a new head coach to start the 2022 season," Current Director of Communicatons and PR Jeff Husted said in a email to KSHB 41 on Thursday. "Williams will shift to a technical role that will capitalize on his 30+ years of experience in scouting and talent identification."
When the NWSL was founded in 2012, Kansas City was awarded a team, but FC Kansas City folded after five seasons despite winning back-to-back championships in 2014 and 2015.
The NWSL reacquired ownership rights 10 months after FC Kansas City had been sold to an out-of-town owner, Elam Baer, in January 2017 and ceased club operations.
All team assets were transferred to the expansion Utah Royals FC, who lasted two seasons before also ceasing operations.
With Williams’ help, Angie and Chris Long brought an NWSL franchise back to Kansas City last year as part of an ownership group that also includes Brittany Matthews, who is the fiancée of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Williams, who had served as general manager of FC Kansas City, was hired as the expansion club’s head coach in Kansas City.
During halftime of the 2021 season finale on Oct. 30, the team announced its rebrand as the Kansas City Current.
The club also has announced plans for a soccer-specific stadium in Berkley Riverfront Park and a state-of-the-art training facility in Riverside.
The Current will play next season at Children’s Mercy Park, sharing the stadium with Sporting Kansas City of Major League Soccer.
Former Current assistant coach, Natalia Astrain, was announced Wednesday as the new U.S. Women’s National Team Under-17 head coach.
