Sean Nahas fired, NCC cites culture issues and an untenable environment.

Sean Nahas’s time in North Carolina came to an abrupt end this week when the club unceremoniously announced the change through a social media post Wednesday afternoon.

The move was unexpected. Nahas had just posted training pictures to his personal Instagram hours prior, and no one seemed to have answers.

While the Courage had struggled offensively, including a scoreless draw at home to San Diego in the squad’s return from the break, the results were turning around. NCC had been 2W-1D-2L in their last five and 5W-2D-3L in their previous ten, meaning that the move was caused by… a multitude of factors.

That phrase was uttered twelve times during a bizarre pre-match press conference where Chief Soccer Officer/Sporting Director Dr. Ceri Bowley dodged the elephant in the room.

The problem quickly evolved from the reasons why Nahas was let go.

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The press conference led to rampant speculation from NWSL fans who have been conditioned to expect the worst when a manager is fired without any fanfare or while being thanked for their contributions.

“A multitude of factors.”

The club took a moment after the 2-1 loss in Houston to stem some of the speculation following the initial press conference.

Adding, “The termination stemmed from a combination of compounding performance issues, culture issues, and a perceived lack of fit that created an environment that club leadership felt was untenable to the point that change was necessary at the head coaching position.”

Players were blindsided by the decision, with Denise O’Sullivan reflecting following Friday’s loss. O’Sullivan, who was named captain under Nahas, said:

“It’s been an emotional week, definitely a tough week for the team. [...] I’ve known Sean for seven years, and when I first came to the club, Sean was here working. I personally had a really good relationship with Shawn; he made me captain of the club, and I appreciate that. I do want to thank Sean for everything.”

Of course, one player’s testimony has to be taken with a grain of salt; there are countless instances of managers treating groups of players differently. Anytime an organization cites culture issues when firing a manager that they had employed since 2021, the main issue has to be more than just slumping performance and differences in sporting direction.

It’s understandable if Bowley’s fresh eyes on the NCC project didn’t jive with Nahas’s specific brand of soccer. Jaedyn Shaw’s usage, combined with the lack of attacking success, wasn’t a surprise to anyone familiar with Nahas’s formation and tactical demands. Then, falling out of the playoff mix as the squad was expecting to challenge for a home playoff match became much more relevant.

However, all of that considered, the timing is still bizarre.

Why fire Nahas now, following the first match after the month-long break, as opposed to before the break? Was there an issue uncovered in the club’s midseason report surveys?

It’s a major mishandling of the situation unless there is a much deeper reason for how abruptly this move came about.

The club’s second official statement, being sure to cite cultural issues and an “untenable environment,” tells a much deeper story than simply a difference in sporting opinion.

According to the Courage, there is no further investigation into Nahas’s behavior.

However, that doesn’t mean that there won’t be further scrutiny.

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NWSL responds to SD Wave lawsuit:

Elsewhere in NWSL scandal news, the league’s legal filing in response to the ongoing lawsuit brought against the San Diego Wave by six former employees has been made public.

In the response to the lawsuit, read about the initial suit here, the league claimed that it legally had “no duty of care” to employees of their clubs, despite admitting that the Wave could have done more to support their employees.

It’s a deplorable position.

A league that has to submit biannual reports to the Attorneys General of Illinois, DC, and New York is essentially admitting that employees of their clubs are not the league’s responsibility.

The former Wave employees have requested a jury trial.

The NWSL has an accountability problem, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to spout progress while the environments continually fail to hold themselves to a professional standard. If the NWSL won’t investigate promptly, as seen in both SD Wave and Bay FC investigations, then who will?

If players were wronged in North Carolina, why would they trust the processes currently implemented to find justice?

At some point, league leadership has to take accountability for mistakes as much as they do the obvious successes.

It’s been a constant train of scandal and mismanagement, it’s a disservice to the players and staff that make the league one of the best in the world.