Seb Hines likes to call himself a “late bloomer” when it comes to learning the beautiful game. Funny enough, the West Yorkshire native initially gravitated toward baseball during his childhood—a natural outcome of having an American father. But watching his friends play soccer eventually sparked his interest in the sport. Perhaps attending the same high school as fellow footballer Micah Richards—and having an English mother—played a part in steering him toward the pitch. Years later, after hanging up his boots in 2017, Hines began his coaching journey in 2020 and went on to become the first Black manager in NWSL history.

His reaction? “Shocked!” Why, you ask? Well, part of it was because he hadn’t even realized the milestone he had achieved until someone pointed it out. (Not surprised he calls himself a late bloomer now, eh?) But jokes aside, the real astonishment came from the fact that it took over a decade since the league’s inception for someone to break that barrier. The former Middlesbrough defender believes this could’ve easily been pioneered much earlier by anyone.

“I didn’t know until someone told me,” said Hines after being invited by USWNT icon Sam Mewis for a brief interview on The Women’s Game podcast. “I was shocked, honestly, cause obviously NWSL had been going for 10 years by that time. And to be the first black head coach was a little bit shocking. It kind of showed how far behind we are as well.”

While the Orlando Pride boss is understandably disappointed by how long it took the NWSL to reach this milestone, he remains deeply grateful for the opportunity to be a trailblazer. In fact, the 36-year-old hopes his journey inspires a new generation of Black coaches and uplifts the entire community.

“As a black male head coach, I want to be a role model for a lot of other black head coaches as well. If I can play that role in making sure that other people are getting looked at and get the opportunity. I will never take this for granted because it’s a really important job for me and for the representation of other black coaches,” explained Seb.

The 2024 NWSL Coach of the Year further expressed his commitment to the role, emphasizing that he intends to carry out his responsibilities while putting his ability to best use. In fact, Seb insisted it’s still not done, given he is the sole black coach in the 2025 NWSL season. “We still got to keep moving forward,” concluded the former defender, who enjoyed stints with Derby County, Oldham Athletic, and Coventry City.

For someone who has enjoyed a stellar career both as a player and now as a manager, this was the best answer we could’ve expected from Hines. No wonder that, with this feat, his success story as a manager now shines brightly among the laurels of NWSL history!

Seb Hines has come a long way since kickstarting his NWSL journey

The former English international may have hung up his boots while playing for MLS side Orlando City, but his heart wasn’t ready to leave the O-Town just yet. Joining his club’s youth side as a volunteer, he decided to take the next big step by joining the Pride as an assistant coach in 2018. Good luck followed suit, as the NWSL side made Seb their interim boss after Amanda Cromwell was on administrative leave.

Not to mention how difficult the situation the team was in. To recall what their iconic forward Marta once said, the Orlando Pride’s journey was described “up and down, up and down.” They rarely used to finish above seventh. Even off the pitch, issues persisted as the majority of the instability came due to major ownership changes and a revolving door of coaching staff following Tom Sermanni’s departure in 2018.

But talk about Seb Hines being a turning point in Pride’s history. Sure, at first, things were far more than easy. Like a crushing 6-0 loss to Portland in just his second game. But that somehow made the tactician realize that there were no shortcuts to rebuilding the team. Calling that horrific defeat a “blessing in disguise,” he told his players, “We have to change a lot of things here.”

A proper rebuild from the ground ensued, as Hines focused on strengthening the defense, refining the attack, and most importantly, instilling a team-first culture. The end result? Helping Orlando Pride wear the crown of 2024 NWSL Sheild, followed by a NWSL Championship triumph.

So, it’s safe to say that with leaders like Seb Hines paving the way, the future of Black coaches in the sport looks brighter—and in good hands.