81 days. That’s all it took for Emma Hayes to go from signing her contract with the USWNT to winning the Olympic gold with the team. Well, for the team, considering she doesn’t get a medal. But that doesn’t seem to bother Hayes. After all, she achieved something that started as a dream, a goal – one she made with her late father.

Sitting inside Wembly with her father, Sid, in 2012 – two years after she was sacked by the Chicago Red Stars – Emma Hayes watched the USWNT defeat Team Japan in the Olympic final to win their fourth gold. She told her father, “Dad, you see those 50 people out there? I’ve coached 40 of them.” Whether it was at that moment that the dream of winning the Olympics started, we’ll never know. But it sure intensified. So, last year, when Hayes got the opportunity to inch closer to it, she took it. She just knew she had to, especially after Sid Hayes passed away.

“My dad was with me the whole way. I could feel his presence the entire time,” Emma Hayes told Sky News after leading the USWNT to their fifth Olympic gold. Going up against Brazil in the final, the match was fast-paced from the get-go. But after missed opportunities for both sides, USA’s Mallory Swanson broke the deadlock in the 57th minute, making the most of a beautiful through-ball from Korbin Albert that got past the Brazilian defenses. The match ended 1-0, and Emma Hayes got to witness the difference she’d made after joining Team USA, fulfilling her dream in the process.

It’s just that she doesn’t have something tangible to remind her of all that she’s achieved in just two months. When Sky News asked if the team would get her a gold medal, Emma Hayes replied, “No, but I’ve got memories. At the end of the day, I coached an Olympic gold medal-winning team. I don’t need a medal for that. These people have really opened up and I’ve enjoyed being in their presence and their company. For me, that’s even more valuable than a medal.” Despite not taking home a medal, this experience couldn’t have been any sweeter for Hayes, especially after initial doubts about her decisions.

When she joined the USWNT, she came with the mindset to build a team that would give opportunities to less-experienced players. While that entailed leaving someone like Alex Morgan out of the Olympic roster, Emma Hayes knew she was doing the right thing. However, there were questions about why a crucial player like Morgan was left out and how the young and relatively inexperienced team would fare at the Games. In fact, USWNT legend Carli Lloyd even said that winning gold in Paris would be a “stretch,” considering the squad doesn’t have anyone who can change the dynamic of a match in an instant.

But there were supporters, too. Former USMNT player Alexi Lalas surmised that this squad – with players like Swanson, Trinity Rodman, and Sophia Smith leading the charge – is what the USWNT has needed for years. “This is, in many ways, the team that people wanted Vlatco [Andonovski] to have in the summer of the 2023 World Cup. This is it,” Lalas said on his podcast. Notably, the USWNT lost to Sweden in the Round of 16 on penalties. So, the 2024 Olympics wasn’t just a memorable outing for Hayes but also a redemption tour for the squad.

Coming back to Team USA’s matches in Paris, Hayes refrained from substituting players to avoid disrupting the chemistry between them during matches, sticking with the starting 11 on most occasions. All these managerial decisions led to the USWNT exceeding all expectations and what Emma Hayes called the “trip of a lifetime.” Also, considering she didn’t have to face Team Great Britain, the 47-year-old revealed that “there was no conflict of interest.”

The lack of a gold medal for Emma Hayes, though, hurt the US soccer fraternity. Notably, Abby Wambach discussed how Emma Hayes should get an Olympic gold medal.

Abby Wambach wants a gold medal for Emma Hayes!

As the USWNT stepped onto the top step of the podium during the medal ceremony, Emma Hayes and her assistant coach clicked a selfie with the team in the background. Posting it on Instagram, Hayes wrote, “Gold Babyyyyyy. These women are so worth it.” But seeing as the coaches didn’t even get to stand on the podium with their players, former USWNT star Abby Wambach had a few words to write, praising the 47-year-old coach and making a plea to the IOC.

“Thank you, Emma!! You are the real deal and made us all very, very happy today. Love the way you approach the team, and I can tell the players love you. It’s a shame coaches don’t get medals. You deserve one… this I know for sure,” Wambach commented. While it only seems fair to honor coaches with medals, too, there’s no doubt it’ll be daunting for the organizers. If one coach gets it, every coach should get it. And that wouldn’t just entail team sports.

But as Emma Hayes said in her interview with Sky News, the memories mean more to her than a medal. Although she didn’t get to stand on the podium during the ceremony, Hayes celebrated with her team afterward. Posting another picture on Instagram with the entire team – the players, the staff, and, of course, her son – the manager wrote, “Feeling on top of the world. What a month this has been. So happy to celebrate with everyone on and off the pitch.” 

Even David Beckham commented on the post: “Congratulations ❤️🤍💙 [Emma Hayes]. proud moment x” While we may not have gotten to see it, there’s little doubt that the players would’ve made Hayes wear one of their medals. That said, what’s your take on coaches not getting medals at the Olympics?