HOUSTON (Feb. 14, 2026) - The Houston Dash announced today that Twila Kilgore has been hired as the club’s technical director. Kilgore returns to Houston following her role with the U.S. Women’s National Team, where she helped guide the program to a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics and served as interim head coach from August 2023 through May 2024.
“The technical director role is central to how we want to build and sustain success in Houston. Twila is uniquely qualified to help shape and execute our shared vision for the club,” President of Soccer, Angela Hucles Mangano said. “Twila brings a rare combination of national team experience, player development expertise and a deep understanding of the pathways into our league. Just as importantly, she understands Houston and what this club is striving to become. We’re excited to welcome her back in a new role and look forward to what we can build together in the years ahead.”
Kilgore becomes the second technical director in team history and the latest addition to an expanded sporting and technical staff ahead of the 2026 season. In her role, she will work closely with Mangano on player development, talent identification and recruitment, and serve as a strategic partner to the technical staff.
“I’m inspired to step into this role because what matters most to me is the daily experience of our players and staff. There was meaningful progress made last season, and I am looking forward to coming alongside everyone in the organization as we pursue sustainable success,” Kilgore said. “My focus is on creating clarity, alignment and intentional support across the entire sporting operation, so our players and staff can do their best work on and off the pitch, grow in their roles, feel confident in how we move forward together, and continue to build our competitive edge.”
Kilgore brings more than a decade of experience across the U.S. Soccer ecosystem. She worked extensively with the U.S. Women’s Youth National Teams (U-14 through U-23) from 2011–2022 before joining U.S. Soccer full time. She served as head coach of the U-20 squad at the 2019 La Manga Tournament in Spain and later led the U-23 U.S. Women’s National Team in two international competitions in 2022.
She joined the senior national team staff as an assistant coach ahead of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and was appointed interim head coach later that year. During her tenure, Kilgore led the team to triumphs at the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup and the 2024 SheBelieves Cup leading up to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The Los Angeles, California native returns to the NWSL and Shell Energy Stadium after previously serving as an assistant coach for the Houston Dash from 2019–2021. During that time, she helped the club capture the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup, the first trophy in team history. She also contributed to a strong 2021 campaign that included five home wins (tied for the most in team history) and 32 points, the second-highest total in club history.
In addition to her time with the Dash and U.S. Soccer, Kilgore spent five seasons as head coach at the University of California, Davis, where she led the program to its first conference tournament semifinal appearance since 2011. She was also a member of Pepperdine University’s technical staff for 10 seasons and served as head coach of the Los Angeles Legends in the USL W-League. Kilgore played for the Arizona Heatwave in the W-League following her collegiate career at the University of Arizona.
Kilgore holds the UEFA “A” coaching license and in 2021 she became the first American-born woman to earn U.S. Soccer’s Pro Coaching License, the top qualification in the American coaching pathway. Kilgore earned her bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Arizona, where she was a four-year starter and named Rookie of the Year. She later completed a master’s degree in coaching and athletic administration at Concordia University Irvine.
The Dash will continue preseason preparations with participation in the Coachella Valley Invitational next month and a friendly against Dallas Trinity FC. Houston will open the regular season in March, and season tickets for the upcoming campaign are available HERE.
