Mark
Parsons

Mark Parsons returns to the Spirit as Head Coach after his most recent tenure as the manager of the Netherlands Women’s National Team. Parsons previously held the role of Head Coach for the Washington Spirit from 2013 to 2015, his first managerial position in the NWSL.

Since managing the Spirit in 2013, Parsons established himself as one of the top coaches in professional women’s soccer. In 2015, he became head coach of Portland Thorns FC where he led the team to two NWSL Shields (2016, 2021), an NWSL Community Shield (2020), an NWSL Challenge Cup Championship (2021) and an NWSL Championship (2017). In his six years as head coach in Portland, the Thorns made every available postseason and did not finish worse than the NWSL Semifinals. He was named the 2016 NWSL Coach of the Year.

Following his stint with Portland, Parsons was named the manager of the Netherlands Women’s National Team in 2021, before returning to the Spirit in November of 2022.