HOUSTON (Sept. 13, 2026) – The Houston Dash announced today that Fabrice Gautrat and Twila Kilgore will not return for the 2027 regular season. The search for the next Dash head coach is underway and will be managed by club leadership. Jaime Frias will serve as the interim head coach for the remainder of the season.
“Our conviction in this group has not wavered. We believe in the quality of this team and its ability to succeed both this season and beyond. We also have a responsibility to evaluate our trajectory and determine what is needed to achieve the ambitions we have for this team. Ultimately, this decision reflects our commitment to those ambitions and our determination to continue moving the club forward,” Angela Hucles Mangano, president of women’s soccer said. “We want to thank Fabrice and Twila for their commitment to the organization and the work they have done on behalf of this organization. They have invested significantly in our players and our club, and we are grateful for their contributions. We wish them both continued success in their careers.”
Gautrat joined the organization as the sixth head coach in team history prior to the 2025 season. He finished his first year as the head coach of the team with a 5-4-4 (WLD) record in the final stretch of the season, with key victories over three teams that qualified for the postseason. The team ultimately posted an 8-12-6 (WLD) record and finished six points shy of securing a postseason berth. The team currently sits 12th in the league table with six games left in the regular season.
Kilgore returned to the organization in February, and she was the second technical director in team history. She joined the club following her role with the U.S. Women’s National Team, where she served as the interim head coach from Aug. 2023 to May 2024 and helped the program prepare for their gold-medal run at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Kilgore first joined the Dash as an assistant coach from 2019-2021.
Hucles Mangano will be available to speak with media in the upcoming week prior to the team departing for a two-game cross-country road trip. Additional information will be shared by the club communications team.
