Houston Dash
Houston Dash is an NWSLNWSLThe National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) is a professional women’s soccer league in the United States with 16 clubs in 2026. It stages a regular season, playoffs and the Challenge Cup, while a collective bargaining agreement governs employment relations between clubs and players.Open the full entry women's professional soccer club in Houston, Texas. It began play in 2014, hosts matches at Shell Energy Stadium, and won the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup.
Contents8 sections
Key facts
December 2013Expansion club announced
On December 12, 2013, Houston Dynamo announced the Houston Dash as the NWSL’s first expansion club, entering competition in 2014.[1]
July 2020First Challenge Cup title
On July 26, 2020, Houston beat the Chicago Red StarsChicago Stars FCChicago Stars FC, formerly the Chicago Red Stars, is an NWSL women's professional soccer club in the Chicago area, playing in Evanston in 2026.Open the full entry 2–0 in Sandy, Utah, to claim its first trophy. Sophie Schmidt and Shea Groom scored in the final.[2]
April 2022Head coach suspended
On April 26, 2022, the Dash suspended head coach James Clarkson on the joint investigative team’s recommendation, pending the results of the NWSL and players’ association investigation.[3]
October 2022First playoff qualification
The Dash qualified for the NWSL playoffs for the first time in 2022, finishing fourth with 10 wins, six draws, and six defeats and earning a home quarterfinal.[4]
December 2022Response to investigation
On December 14, 2022, the club said the joint investigation had found that Clarkson engaged in emotional misconduct in violation of league policy. It would not renew his contract, which expired at year-end, and apologized to affected players.[3]
September 2026Technical staff changes
On September 13, 2026, the club announced that Fabrice Gautrat and Twila Kilgore would not return for the following season. Jaime Frias became interim head coach for the remainder of 2026 while a search for a new head coach began.[5]
Related Organizations, Websites, and Public Accounts
Houston Dash: Official website: https://www.houstondynamofc.com/houstondash/ (opens in a new window).[6]
Houston Dash: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/houstondash/ (opens in a new window).[7]
Houston Dash: X: https://twitter.com/houstondash (opens in a new window).[8]
Houston Dash: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/houston.dash/ (opens in a new window).[9]
Houston Dash: YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is Google’s video-sharing and creator platform, founded in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim and acquired by Google in 2006. Built around video uploading, viewing, and creator earnings, the platform has developed Shorts, YouTube Music, Premium, YouTube TV, and products for children, and is headquartered in San Bruno, California, United States.Open the full entry: https://www.youtube.com/c/HoustonDashSoccer (opens in a new window).[10]
Sources
- Look Back: Dash Join NWSL on December 12, 2013 (opens in a new window)
- Dash’s 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup title named Houston Sports’ 2020 Moment of the Year (opens in a new window)
- Houston Dash Statement on Joint Investigative Team Report (opens in a new window)
- Dash to host largest crowd in team history for first-ever playoff match (opens in a new window)
- Houston Dash Announce Technical Staff Departures (opens in a new window)
- Teams — NWSL (opens in a new window)
- Houston Dash — Instagram (opens in a new window)
- Houston Dash — X (opens in a new window)
- Houston Dash — Facebook (opens in a new window)
- Houston Dash — YouTube (opens in a new window)