Haley Carter is an accomplished football executive with a proven track record of building championship organizations and driving transformational results in professional women’s soccer. Most recently serving as Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director for Orlando Pride in the National Women’s Soccer League, Carter has established herself as one of the sport’s most effective operational leaders.
Carter’s expertise in talent identification, strategic recruitment, and organizational infrastructure development has produced measurable success at the highest levels of the professional game. She has orchestrated high-profile international transfers, including record-breaking acquisitions, and built comprehensive scouting networks that have identified and secured top talent from global markets. Her approach to roster construction combines data-driven analysis with tactical acumen, resulting in competitive and commercially successful teams.
Carter brings extensive international coaching experience to her executive work, having served as Assistant Coach for the Afghanistan Women’s National Team (2016-2018) and Goalkeeping Coach for Antigua & Barbuda Women’s National Team (2019-2021). She designed senior-level goalkeeper training programs, coordinated international competition preparation including Concacaf Olympic qualifiers, and developed talent identification processes. Her coaching efforts earned recognition from FIFPro World Players’ Union with a Merit Award.
A former professional goalkeeper, Carter competed in the NWSL with the Houston Dash (2014-2016) and represented the United States on the All-Armed Forces Women’s Team in two CISM World Championships. Her playing experience at the professional and international levels informs her comprehensive understanding of player development and performance optimization.
Carter is a licensed attorney admitted to practice in Texas and Washington, with experience in multiple federal courts including the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. She earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Houston Law Center and has published scholarship on Title IX regulations and gender equity in education. Her legal expertise has proven valuable in contract negotiations, governance matters, and league policy development.
Prior to her career in football, Carter served as a Strategic Policy Officer and Logistics Officer-in-Charge in the U.S. Marine Corps (2006-2013), including two combat deployments to Iraq, earning the Defense Meritorious Service Medal and Navy Commendation Medal. She holds a Bachelor of Science in History (Honors) from the U.S. Naval Academy and an MBA with Distinction from the University of Liverpool, along with Six Sigma Black Belt certification in executive management.
Throughout her career, Carter has demonstrated leadership in advancing the women’s game, serving as Chair of the United Soccer Coaches Women Coaches Community (2019-2023) and as an Executive Board Member of the Girls Academy League (2021-2023). She has been recognized as a Houston Business Journal 40 Under 40 honoree (2020), Orlando Business Journal Most Influential Business Leader (2024), and among The Women’s Edge Top 100 Women-Led Business Executives (2025).
