![]() Harvey with the Seattle Reign in 2024 | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Laura Kate Harvey [1] | ||
Date of birth | [2] | 15 May 1980||
Place of birth | Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Seattle Reign FC (head coach) | ||
Youth career | |||
Coventry City | |||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
Wolverhampton Wanderers | |||
Birmingham City | |||
Managerial career | |||
2002–2006 | Birmingham City (assistant) | ||
2005–2011 | England U-17, U-19, U-23 (assistant) | ||
2006–2008 | Birmingham City | ||
2008–2010 | Arsenal (assistant) | ||
2010–2012 | Arsenal | ||
2013–2017 | Seattle Reign FC | ||
2017 | United States U-23 (interim) | ||
2018–2019 | Utah Royals FC | ||
2020–2021 | United States U-20 | ||
2020–2021 | United States (assistant) | ||
2021– | Seattle Reign FC | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Laura Kate Harvey (born 15 May 1980) is an English football manager and former player [2] who currently manages Seattle Reign FC of the American National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). [3] She holds USSF "A" and UEFA "A" coaching licenses. [4]
Harvey previously managed the United States women's national under-20 soccer team, Utah Royals FC, Arsenal, and Birmingham City. She was an assistant coach with the United States women's national soccer team [5] as well as England's U-17, U-19 and U-23 national teams.
Harvey was named FA WSL Manager of the Year in 2011 after guiding Arsenal to win the league title, FA Cup, and Continental Cup. She was named NWSL Coach of the Year in 2014, 2015, and 2021. She was the second woman to earn a U.S. Soccer Pro License. [6] Harvey is the first coach in NWSL history to coach 200 regular season games. As of July 2023 [update] , she holds the NWSL record for most regular season wins. [7]
Harvey grew up in Bulkington, a village in Warwickshire in the West Midlands region of England. She attended The George Eliot School in Nuneaton. [8] Her father was a full-time high school teacher and a football coach who worked for The Football Association (FA) and Coventry City F.C. during her childhood. [9] She would often attend men's Premier League games with her father where he taught her and her brother to "not just watch the ball, but everything else that's going on." [10]
Harvey began playing football at a young age on boys teams and in neighborhood pickup games along with Laura Bassett as there was no youth girls league available. [10] As a teenager, Harvey played for Coventry City L.F.C. for six years. [11] She graduated from the University of Wolverhampton with a bachelor's degree in Sports Studies. [12]
At age 22, Harvey ruptured her ACL while playing for Birmingham City; she subsequently retired from playing. [13] [8] She previously played for Wolverhampton Wanderers W.F.C. [14]
Harvey was named assistant coach for Birmingham City in 2002. In 2007, she was named team manager. [9]
In 2008, Harvey joined Arsenal as its first team coach. The following year, she was hired full-time as Assistant Academy Director and Reserve Team Manager. [15]
In February 2010, Harvey was hired to replace Tony Gervaise as manager for Arsenal. Of her hiring, Harvey said, "It's a really proud moment for me. In women's football, especially domestically, it doesn't come any bigger than Arsenal. When you set out to coach and you know this is your dream and your love, you want to make it the best it can possibly be and in my eyes it doesn't get much bigger than this." [16]
In 2011, Harvey was named FAWSL Manager of the Year after guiding the team to win the league title, FA Cup, and Continental Cup. [17] She finished her tenure with Arsenal in 2012 having led the team to three consecutive league titles, two Continental Cups, and one FA Women's Cup. [14] [18] [19] Harvey led the Gunners to the UEFA Women's Champions League semi-finals twice. [4]
On 21 December 2012, Harvey was named head coach of Seattle Reign FC for the inaugural season of the National Women's Soccer League, a new professional league in the United States. [14] [20] [21] The Reign faced a tough first half of the season and went 0–9–1 in their first ten games after all three of their American allocated players were unavailable: Hope Solo was out for wrist surgery and recovery, Amy Rodriguez was out for the season due to pregnancy, and Megan Rapinoe was returning mid-season after a six-month stint for Olympique Lyonnais. [22] With the return of Solo, Rapinoe, and some additional lineup changes made during the early summer, the Reign turned their regular season record around and finished the season in seventh place with a 5–14–3 record. [23] In August 2013, Harvey signed a contract extension with the Reign through 2017. [24] She left the club in November 2017. [25]
During the 2014 season, Harvey led the Reign to set a league record unbeaten streak of 16 games during the first part of the season. During the 16 game stretch, the team compiled a 13–0–3 record. [26] The Reign finished first in the regular season clinching the NWSL Shield for the first time. [27] After defeating the Washington Spirit 2–1 in the playoff semi-finals, the Reign were defeated 2–1 by FC Kansas City during the championship final. [28] Following the regular season, Harvey was named the league's Coach of the Year. [29] In December 2014, she was named FA Coach of the Year by the FA, and was a finalist for the FIFA World Coach of the Year. [30]
During the 2015 season, Harvey led the Reign to finish first in the regular season clinching the NWSL Shield for the second consecutive season. [31] After defeating the Washington Spirit 3–0 in a playoff semi-final, the Reign were defeated 1–0 by FC Kansas City during the championship final in Portland. [32] Following the 2015 regular season, Harvey was named NWSL Coach of the Year for the second consecutive time. [33]
On 7 November 2017, the Reign announced that Harvey had stepped down as head coach and general manager, and that the team had hired FC Kansas City coach Vlatko Andonovski, who had defeated Harvey's Reign FC teams in the 2014 and 2015 NWSL championship matches, on her recommendation. [34] [35]
On 27 November 2017, Utah Royals FC announced Harvey as their first head coach. [36]
The Royals launched with players primarily sourced from the defunct FC Kansas City, which had spent almost all of the 2017 season out of playoff contention. The team's struggles continued in Utah during the 2018 season, playing five winless matches before their first victory on 5 May against Washington Spirit. The team then went on a 5–2–2 run that kept them in contention for the table's fourth-place spot and playoff qualification, then added mid-season reinforcements of Christen Press, Samantha Johnson, and Makenzy Doniak. However, the Royals stumbled into a three-match losing streak in July, and a 4–1–2 finish was not enough to qualify for the postseason. [37] [38]
Despite a strong 5–2–2 start to the 2019 season, the Royals finished the season 5–8–2 and were eliminated from NWSL playoff contention for the second consecutive season after losing to Chicago Red Stars on 28 September 2019. [39]
While she initially expected to return to Utah for the 2020 season, [40] on 7 January 2020 Royals FC announced that Harvey had accepted an appointment from U.S. Soccer to manage its under-20 women's team. [41]
Harvey returned to the Reign as head coach, where she previously coached from 2013 to 2017, after the 2020 Summer Olympics in August 2021. [3]
The Reign finished second in the 2021 season with a 13–8–3 season record, and 7–2–2 record under Harvey, but lost to Washington Spirit 1–2 in the playoff semi-finals. [42] Harvey was named 2021 NWSL Coach of the Year by a vote of owners, general managers, coaches, media, players, and fans; the 2022 win was her third. [43]
In 2022, the Reign finished atop the NWSL table with a 11–4–7 record and won its third NWSL Shield, all under Harvey, but lost to Kansas City Current 0–2 in the playoff semi-finals. [44] The Reign also finished atop the West Division of the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup group stage with an undefeated 4–0–2 record, but fell to Washington Spirit in the playoff semi-finals 8–9 by penalty shoot-out after a scoreless draw. [45] Harvey also led the Reign to a 2022 The Women's Cup championship, defeating Club América in the semi-finals [46] and hosts Racing Louisville FC in the finals. [47] Harvey was a finalist for the 2022 NWSL Coach of the Year award. [48]
In July 2023, Harvey became the first coach in league history to coach 200 regular season games. As of July 2023 [update] , she holds the NWSL record for most regular season wins. [49] The same month, she extended her contract as head coach until 2025. [49]
From 2005–2011, Harvey served as assistant coach for England's U-17, U-19 and U-23 national teams. [14] [50]
Harvey was named as coach of the United States U-23 national team for a tournament in Spring 2017, after coaching them through a January camp. She reportedly took on an expanded role with the United States Soccer Federation following her exit from the Seattle Reign FC organization. [51]
External videos | |
---|---|
![]() |
From January 2020 to July 2021, Harvey was the head coach of the United States women's national under-20 soccer team; she also served as an assistant coach of the United States women's national soccer team. [52] Harvey led the U-20 team on a seven-game unbeaten streak and championship win at the 2020 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship in the Dominican Republic. The team, which included future senior national team stars Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman, and Naomi Girma, [53] outscored its opponents 44-1 at the tournament. [6] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequently cancelled FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, Harvey had limited coaching opportunities during this time though credits the experience as a good learning and personal growth period. [54]
Arsenal [19]
Seattle Reign FC
United States U-20
Individual
Casey Jean Stoney is an English professional football manager and former player who was most recently the head coach of San Diego Wave FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).
Jessica Anne Fishlock is a Welsh professional footballer and coach who plays as a midfielder for Seattle Reign FC and the Wales national team. She is Wales’s all-time record goal scorer. She previously played for Bristol Academy in England's FA Women's Super League, AZ Alkmaar in the Dutch Eredivisie, Glasgow City in the Scottish Women's Premier League, Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City in Australia's W-League, as well as Bundesliga club FFC Frankfurt in Germany.
Kim Alison Little is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for and captains Arsenal of the English Women's Super League. Before her retirement from international duty in 2021, Little was vice-captain of the Scotland national team. She began her senior career at Hibernian, winning the Scottish Premier League, Scottish Women's Cup and Scottish Premier League Cup with the club in the 2006–2007 season. With Arsenal, she is a two time Premier League National Division winner, five time League Cup winner, and three time WSL and FA Cup winner. During her time at Seattle Reign, Little won the Golden Boot and Most Valuable Player awards.
Seattle has had professional soccer clubs for over four decades who have played in various leagues since the 1970s. These include three incarnations of the Seattle Sounders FC, playing in the North American Soccer League, United Soccer League, and Major League Soccer.
Katrine Vejsgaard Veje is a Danish professional footballer who plays as a centre-back, left back or left wing-back for Women's Super League club Crystal Palace and the Danish national team. She has previously played for Arsenal in the FA WSL, LdB FC Malmö of Sweden's Damallsvenskan, Seattle Reign FC of the National Women's Soccer League as well as Odense Q and Brøndby IF of Denmark's Elitedivisionen.
Jodie Lee Taylor is an English former professional footballer who last played as a striker for Arsenal of WSL. She began her club career with local team Tranmere Rovers and had brief spells in her home country with Birmingham City and Lincoln Ladies. A well-traveled player, she has also played abroad in the United States, Canada, Australia, Sweden and France.
Angharad Jane James, also known as Angharad James-Turner, is a Welsh professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for National Women's Soccer League club Seattle Reign and the Wales national team.
Beverly Goebel Yanez is an American soccer coach and former professional player. She is the head coach of Racing Louisville FC in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Yanez played as a forward for Reign FC in the NWSL, Melbourne City in the Australian W-League, INAC Kobe Leonessa in the Japanese Nadeshiko.League, PK-35 in Finland's Naisten Liiga, as well as the Western New York Flash and the Washington Freedom in the WPS.
Seattle Reign FC is an American professional women's soccer team based in Seattle, Washington, that competes in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Founded in 2012, it is one of eight inaugural members of the NWSL. Since June 2024, the Reign are owned by the private equity firm the Carlyle Group and Major League Soccer team Seattle Sounders FC.
Lauren Kate Barnes is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for Seattle Reign FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She previously played for the Philadelphia Independence in the WPS and represented the United States on the under-15, under-20, and under-23 national teams. As of the end of the 2023 season, she has played the most-ever games and minutes of any NWSL player.
Vlatko Andonovski is a Macedonian-American association football manager and former player who is the head coach and sporting director of the Kansas City Current of the National Women's Soccer League. He was the head coach of the United States women's national team from 2019 to 2023.
The 2014 Seattle Reign FC season was the club's second season of play and their second season in the National Women's Soccer League, the top division of women's soccer in the United States.
The 2018 Seattle Reign FC season was the club's sixth season of play and their sixth season in the National Women's Soccer League, the top division of women's soccer in the United States. After finishing fifth in the league for two consecutive seasons, the Reign finished third to return to the playoffs, where they lost to Portland Thorns FC in the semi-final.
Bethany Catherine Balcer is an American professional soccer player who plays as a striker for Racing Louisville FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).
Alana Simone Cook is an American professional soccer player who plays as a center back for the Kansas City Current of the National Women's Soccer League and the United States national team.
Leah Pruitt is an American former professional soccer player who played as a forward.
Tziarra Lanae King is an American professional soccer player who most recently played as a forward for National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) club Seattle Reign. She played college soccer for the NC State Wolfpack and was drafted by the Utah Royals in 2020.
Carissa Xenia Miller is an American professional soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) club Seattle Reign.
Samantha Ryan Hiatt is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for Portland Thorns FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).
Shae Holmes is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for Seattle Reign FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).
Harvey said she expects to return to Utah next season, though she won't be the next coach of the U.S. Women's National Team.