Never would anyone imagine Emma Hayes to win an Olympic gold medal, just two months after taking over the USWNT. It’s simply not easy. For starters, you need to gel these players, play them to your tactics, and manage all the egos. Yet Emma took the job like a duck to water. And of course, all this happened at Iona College, now, Iona University. Emma started her career in 2002 with the Long Island Lady Riders.

But soon, she moved to the Iona Gaels, where she had her first lift-off in her career. Moreover, her time in New York made her the manager she is today. In an interview, she explained how grateful she was to the Gaels and gave them a shout-out.

Emma Hayes cited, “Oh, everything. I often tell people as my fondest memories of coaching,” mentioned a gleeful Emma. She continued, “I had an amazing group of women, that taught me a lot about collegiate athletics and being involved with the community like Iona. I gained so many friends and I was here three years and had the most wonderful time.”

She worked with the soccer team in the college and coached them to play the game the right way. The Gaels won 22 games during her stint. No doubt, the team made massive inroads in soccer. In addition, during her second and third years, Iona had a record of 19 wins, 16 losses, and 4 ties. This impressive performance included 11 wins, 5 losses, and 2 ties in MAAC play, and she successfully qualified for the MAAC Championship twice.

Unfortunately, the teams, that eventually became the champions, eliminated Hayes’ Gaels from the tournament. It became a steep learning curve!

Emma Hayes credits Iona University for her success!

Emma Hayes ended, “This is a shoutout to all my former players at Iona, to those Gaels. I love you to bits and I owe you a thank you for giving me a big opportunity. Without doubt, this position is a result of that opportunity.” From there, her career sky-rocketed to a different path. After a brief spell with the Chicago Red Stars, she packed her bags to West London. There she donned a new era for the Blues.

In 12 years, 16 titles are no easy feat. Hayes appeared in 212 games for Chelsea and had a win percentage of 71.51% for Chelsea. Nonetheless, Hayes has the record for the most wins in the country with 151. Nick Cushing comes second with 72 wins for Manchester City. Just take time and look at her staggering record.

Therefore, the time in Iona certainly became a learning curve for, now, one of the best managers in world soccer. Hopefully, she can now lead the USWNT to the 2027 World Cup. Exciting times one must say, right?