Report: Jill Ellis to join Sacramento Republic, will have role in MLS expansion team

Jill Ellis - USWNT - cropped in

Former US women’s national team head coach Jill Ellis is joining Sacramento in a front office role that’ll include responsibilities with their MLS expansion team, per a report in The Athletic.


Ellis would help steer Sacramento’s NWSL team, which is slated to begin competing in 2022, as well as their men’s side, which is joining MLS as an expansion team in 2023. While an exact role wasn’t named, signs point to Ellis overseeing the sporting department in a larger capacity.

Ellis previously led the United States to FIFA Women’s World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019, then stepped down in July 2019. The England native is yet to return to professional coaching, though was linked to D.C. United’s head coach vacancy earlier this offseason before the Black-and-Red eventually went with Hernan Losada.


Sacramento were announced as an MLS expansion team in October 2019, with Republic FC now competing in the USL Championship after their debut in 2014. The club will build a new, $300 million, 20,100-seat soccer stadium in the downtown Railyards District.