Mystery surrounds firing of NC Courage head coach Sean Nahas

An awkward affair ensued at the North Carolina Courage’s weekly pre-match media conference on Thursday after the club announced the firing of head coach Sean Nahas late Wednesday evening.

What was originally intended to preview the team’s game versus the Houston Dash on Friday night, instead saw Sporting Director and Chief Soccer Officer Ceri Bowley dodging questions about the circumstances of Nahas’ firing and the team’s next steps.

“It was a multitude of factors that go into such a decision, and clearly we’re looking forward to finishing the season strong,” Bowley said. “We’re on the cusp of the playoffs, so our primary focus is to finish the season strong and hopefully at the end of it, achieve our goals.”

At 7:45 p.m. Wednesday night, the Courage posted on social media the club terminated Nahas’ contract “effective immediately.”

“The North Carolina Courage remain focused on the continued development of the team and maintaining a professional, competitive environment for players, staff and supporters,” the statement said.

Throughout Thursday’s media conference, Bowley refused to offer clarity as to whether club performance or an internal investigation influenced the decision, insisting and repeating it was a “multitude of factors.” When asked if an investigation resulted in Nahas’ termination, members of the team’s communication team repeatedly shook their head to signal Bowley not to reply outside of the general statement.

The National Women’s Soccer League mandates teams to make the head coach and one to two players available for a pre-match press conference one or day days ahead of the game. Failure to follow this rule results in a fine.

Thackeray takes over for now

Assistant coach Nathan Thackeray will serve as acting head coach for Friday’s match, then Bowley said the team will “give some proper thought to what the next steps look like.” There has “absolutely not” been a discussion of who will be the next head coach at this stage, according to Bowley.

Thackeray has stepped in to lead the team during matches and practices when Nahas has not been available. For example, in June, Thackeray assumed coaching duties “due to unforeseen medical reasons” for Nahas ahead of a match against the Washington Spirit. It is unclear how long he will now serve as acting head coach.

“The standards of this club are extremely high and it was felt that there were reasons that we needed to make a [coaching] change in order to uphold the standards that we expect of North Carolina Courage,” Bowley said.

The team also declined to comment on when players were notified of the decision, with a spokesperson intervening and stating, “We won’t discuss the internal process of it.”

Coaching change came suddenly

Only hours before the dismissal announcement, Nahas posted on his Instagram story a selfie on the flooded practice field of himself, players and staff in soaked rain rackets with the caption: “I don’t rate this weather at all! But I rate the staff! When rain jackets become useless, well you know it’s gunna be a day. Players were top today. And yes to the left is standing water. On turf!”

Nahas joined the Courage as an assistant in 2017 and was named interim coach in fall 2021 after the club fired Paul Riley, following allegations of sexual coercion from former players and the NWSL player’s union call for investigation. The investigation’s report led to the NWSL permanently banning Riley from participation in the league in January 2023.

Nahas became full-time head coach before the 2022 season, leading the Courage to two NWSL Challenge Cup titles and two playoff appearances.

As of Thursday morning, Nahas’ Instagram bio still says he is the head coach of the Courage, further highlighting the suddenness of the decision. Nahas was removed from the Courage’s website.

A spokesperson from the NWSL players union said the association refers to the Courage’s statement.

The Courage sit at a 5-4-5 record and ninth in the table, below the playoff’s cutoff. The team’s last match on Saturday resulted in a draw with the fourth-ranked San Diego Wave.

In the first two months of the season, the Cary-based club struggled, recording two draws, two losses and one win across six matches. Nahas has a 36-35-19 overall record with the Courage.

His brother, Damon, took over the UNC women’s soccer team after long-time, legendary coach Anson Dorrance retired. During his first year leading the program, Damon Nahas propelled the Tar Heels to a national championship in 2024, ending a 12-year drought.

This story was originally published August 7, 2025 at 1:59 PM.