Utah Royals hand the keys over to interim coach Jimmy Coenraets
The Utah Royals have appointed Belgian Jimmy Coenraets (29) as their interim head coach following the firing of Amy Rodriguez halfway through her first season. The Royals are in last place in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) before the summer Olympics break. Coenraets, who joined the Royals' staff in early June, now steps into the role of interim head coach with experience and a track record of success.
Jimmy Coenraets: A Proven Leader
Jimmy Coenraets began his tenure as the manager of Oud-Heverlee Leuven (OH Leuven) in 2020, at a time when the club was struggling at the bottom of the Belgian Women's Super League. Over the next four seasons, he orchestrated a remarkable transformation, establishing OH Leuven as a powerhouse in Belgian women's football. With smart acquisitions and homegrown talent, a development-focused OH Leuven became a destination for many young players knowing they would be offered a system, development, and trust to play a lot of games. His OH Leuven became the main opponent of powerhouse Anderlecht.Â
Coenraets' first season saw OH Leuven rise from the bottom to finish in 2nd place, a remarkable turnaround that laid the foundation for future success.
In the following years under his guidance, OH Leuven consistently secured top positions in the league:
     - 2021-22: 2nd place
     - 2022-23: 2nd place, Leuven striker Ella Van Kerkhoven league top scorer with 21 goals.
     - 2023-24: 3rd place, Leuven playmaker Dilja Zomers league top scorer with 20 goals.
   During 2022-23 and 2023-24 OH Leuven topped the regular season standings, unfortunately crumbling in the playoffs with their young team. During his final season OH Leuven also lost the final of the cup to Club Brugge on penalties, after Coenraets had been out for a while with health issues.Â
As a coach Coenraets allows his strikers a lot of opportunity to score goals by working on remarkable pressing and understanding how to utilize the unique quality of players.
 Coenraets is renowned for his talent development skills, having developed several young players who have gone on to play for the Belgian national team and secure significant moves abroad:
     Marie Detruyer, as a teen was trusted and developed under Coenraets, she became a key player for OH Leuven and the Belgium national team, making a move to Inter Milan in 2024.
     Amber Tysiak, another talent nurtured by Coenraets, became a very sought-after defender earning a move to West Ham United in the Women's Super League.
   Sari Kees, Hannah Eurlings, and Valesca Ampoorter are other players that flourished under Coenraets’ guidance, representing OH Leuven and the Belgium national team.
On online forums, many NWSL fans have shown their displeasure for the Royals pathways with Amy Rodriguez and many other staff and coaches. Clearly, Coenraets is coming into a situation where he needs to win the fans over. Given where things started at OH Leuven, the parallel is clear as day: taking over a struggling, young, and hungry.
As the interim head coach of the Utah Royals, Coenraets brings a wealth of experience, a proven track record, and a commitment to excellence. His journey from revitalizing OH Leuven to taking on a new challenge at Utah Royals exemplifies his passion for the growth and development of young players. The main question that only time can answer is whether his past success can be transferred into a much tougher league in the NWSL.Â