Racing Louisville FC has appointed Beverly “Bev” Goebel Yanez as its head coach, the club announced Thursday following an exhaustive month-long search that included candidates from across the globe.
The 35-year-old Yanez, who spent this past season as an assistant coach with Racing, emerged as the top choice after a series of interviews and presentations with the club’s various stakeholders, completing her rapid rise to a head coaching position four years after retiring as a player.
Yanez will be introduced as the new Racing head coach at a press conference at 2 p.m. Thursday.
“I am incredibly excited for the opportunity to lead this group,” said Yanez (whose last name is pronounced “Yawn-ez”). “I am honored to be a part of this club and grateful to immerse myself in this amazing community. I have said it before and I truly believe it: This group is special in several aspects, and I look so forward to the start of the 2024 season!”
“We could not be more excited for Bev to lead Racing Louisville into the future,” said Racing general manager Ryan Dell. “During her time in Louisville this past season and throughout the interview process, we have seen how dedicated, tactically sound and innovative she is. Bev’s commitment to development and her NWSL experience stood out in the search process, and in every conversation we had about this role, her immense potential was clear. She can be a championship-winning coach at Racing Louisville, and she embodies what we want in a head coach both on and off the pitch.”
A former standout player for the Seattle-based club now known as OL Reign, Yanez worked three years in the National Women’s Soccer League as an assistant coach after retiring, spending two seasons with NJ/NY Gotham FC before moving to Louisville in 2023. She helped Racing reach this year’s UKG NWSL Challenge Cup final and helped lead Gotham’s run to the 2021 Challenge Cup final and the 2021 NWSL Playoffs.
Yanez has also worked as a coach in the youth soccer ranks, including stints with the U-15 U.S. Soccer Youth National Team and the OL Reign academy as well as the Juventus Academy and COPA Soccer Training Center in California.
The California native, who grew up near Los Angeles in Moreno Valley, earned her U.S. Soccer Federation A-Senior license in 2023.
Known for her attention to detail, tactical nous and dedication to individual development, Yanez immediately impressed Racing players upon her arrival in Louisville and built strong relationships with the team through the course of the campaign.
“I am ecstatic to have Bev as our head coach,” said captain Jaelin Howell, a midfielder for Racing. “She is exactly what our club needs in order to be successful. We already respect her so much as a coach and person. Beyond that, I believe some of her biggest attributes are her professionalism and tactical knowledge of the game. We can’t wait to get to work for her!”
“I can’t say enough about how excited I am for Bev and the opportunity this role presents not only her but the team and club as a whole,” said defender Abby Erceg, the team’s vice captain. “Bev was incredible to work with during the 2023 season, and her passion for the game as well as her commitment to the players was deeply appreciated. I believe she can take us to the next level and help this team reach the true potential we all believe is there.”
The first-ever NWSL Draft pick from the University of Miami, Yanez won two NWSL Shields and was a Best XI selection and finalist for the league MVP award in 2015. Her playing career included stops in Australia, Finland and Japan – where she won the league’s golden boot in 2013 – in addition to her time in the U.S. She helped OL Reign reach two NWSL finals, tallying 25 goals and nine assists in 123 appearances.
Yanez has won at every level, both as a player and coach. She won the 2011 Women’s Professional Soccer League title with the Western New York Flash; the 2011 Finnish Naisten Liiga crown with PK-35; back-to-back Japanese Nadeshiko League championships with INAC Kobe; and the 2017 Australian W-League crown with Melbourne City.
Yanez and her family have been connected to Louisville for more than a decade. Her husband, former Columbus Crew midfielder Othaniel “OT” Yanez, starred at the University of Louisville and was a 2010 MLS SuperDraft selection. He also played for the Louisville Lightning, a former Professional Arena Soccer League franchise. OT has his USSF Grassroots license and works in the Racing Louisville Academy. He also works as a coach with the Kentucky Country Day High School girls soccer team.
The Yanezes welcomed their second daughter, Cali June, in November. Their eldest daughter, Noemi-Rae, turns 3 next week.
