Emma Carol Hayes OBE is an English professional football manager. She is currently the United States Women National Team, USWNT manager.
Emma was previously the English FA WSL giants Chelsea Women manager for twelve years where she left unparalleled legacy. During her time at Chelsea, she won the FA Women’s Super League title seven times. This includes a five times in a row from 2019-20 season to 2023-24 season.
Before that, She was the head coach and director of football operations for Chicago Red Stars in the United States’ Women Professional Soccer from 2008 to 24 May 2010. Before that, Emma worked as an assistant coach at Arsenal Women.
Age and birthday
Born in Camden, London in 18 October 1976, Emma is 47 years old as of 2024.
Emma Hayes Family
Her parents are Sid and Miriam Hayes. Sid was raised in Somers Town, North-west London while Miriam was born and raised in the neighboring Camden Town.
Emma has a son named Harry, born in May 2018.
Emma Hayes Education
Hayes attended Parliament Hill School. She then enrolled at Liverpool Hope University were she pursued European studies, Spanish and Sociology. Later, Emma took a Master’s degree in Intelligence and International Affairs.
Emma Hayes Career
Early life
Emma grew up playing football in Camden. Her parents always encouraged her to follow her dreams. This was despite the fact that at that time women football was not popular like today. Her passion for the game saw her join Arsenal academy in her youth. Unfortunately, she suffered a career-ending injury at the age of 17 and opted to switch to studies.
Coaching Career
Kick off: 2001-2006
Hayes started her coaching journey in 2001 as a Long Island Riders manager. She then moved to Iona College, New Rochelle as the head women’s coach from 2003 to 2006.
Arsenal: 2006-2008
Emma joined Arsenal Ladies (now Arsenal Women) in 2006 where she was the first team assistant coach and academy director. It is during her tenure at the club when Arsenal became the first team to win a quadruple. This was after they lifted every trophy on offer in the 2006-07 season which included; League title, FA Cup, League Cup and the UEFA Women’s Cup (currently the UEFA Women’s Champions League).
United States: 2008-2011
In 2008, Emma moved to the USA as the Chicago Red Stars manager but was fired in 2010.
She was then appointed the Technical Director at Western New York Flash. Here her job was to give advise on transfers. Emma helped create the team that won the 2011 Women’s Professional Soccer championship.
Hayes would then relocate to Washington Freedom as a consultant.
Break from football
Soon after, Emma took a break from football and returned to London to take care of her family business. The Hayes have been running a foreign exchange business in Covent Garden for over three decades.
Chelsea: 2012-2024
On 14 August 2012, Chelsea hired Emma Hayes as the women’s team manager. This was following the resignation of the Liverpool-bound Matt Beard during the mid-season 2012 Summer Olympics break. She managed her first Chelsea match on 18 August 2021, a 1-0 away victory against Doncaster Rovers Belles.
Making of a giant
It’s thanks to Hayes’s efforts and resilience that Chelsea Women is what it is today. She has worked diligently over the years, building it from the ground up.
In the 2013 season, Chelsea finished in position seven in the FA Women Super League. However, things took an upward trend going forward. The following season, the Blues narrowly missed out on the FA WSL title by goal difference.
First domestic double
In the beginning of the 2015 season, Hayes made a huge squad overhaul in an effort to improve the team for the new season. This saw the addition of a number of new players such as Millie Bright, Niamh Fahey, Hedvig Lindahl and Frank Kirby. That season, the Emma-led Chelsea made history by winning the League and Cup double. In the Women’s Champions League, they were eliminated at the round of 16 after a 2-1 defeat by VfL Wolfsburg.
Chelsea finished second in 2016-17 season’s FA WSL, five points behind Manchester City. They reached the FA Cup finals for a second consecutive year, but lost 1-0 to Arsenal. The Blues however won the FA WSL Spring series by beating Manchester City on goal difference.
Emma was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2016 honours for her services to football.
In the 2017-18 season, Chelsea brought in more players namely; Maren Mjeldel, Erin Cuthbert and Ramona Bachman. Emma led them to a top FA WSL table finish on goal difference.
2018-19 season was not one of the best for Hayes and the blue girls as they finished third in the FA WSL. In the FA and League Cups as well as the Champions League, they only made it as far as the semi-finals.
2019-20 season began with rebuilding of the team by addition of the likes of Sam Kerr, Ann-Katrina Berger, Pernille Harder, Melanie Leupolz and Magda Eriksson.
Domestic and European dominance
Chelsea won back-to-back FA WSL titles in 2019-20 and 2020-21 after a trophyless 2018-19 season. With the teams dominance in both domestic and European football, Chelsea Women established themselves as one of the best women club teams in the world.
Hayes became the first woman manager to reach the Champions League in twelve years. Her team however suffered a disappointing 4-0 defeat to Barcelona in the 2021 finals.
Chelsea made history in the 2020-21 season when they won a domestic quadruple; Community Shield, FA Vitality Cup, Continental League Cup and the FA WSL title.
In 2021-22, Emma steered Chelsea to double victory in the FA WSL and FA Cup. They however unfortunately lost the League Cup to Manchester City following a 3-1 defeat in the finals.
During the 2022 New Year Honours, Emma Hayes was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). This was in appreciation for her services to the association football.
In the 2022-23 season, Chelsea retained both the FA WSL and the FA Cup. They were once more League Cup runners-up after loosing 3-1 to Arsenal in the finals. In the Women’s Champions League, they were eliminated in the semi-finals by WfL Wolfsburg. Despite that Hayes had to take time off football in the middle of the season due to health issues, the team continued to perform superbly well under the stewardship of her assistants.
The London-based giants made history by retaining the FA WSL for four consecutive years and the FA Cup for three years in a row.
Pursuit for new opportunities
In November 2023, it was revealed the Hayes would be parting ways with Chelsea at the end of the 2023-24 season to manage the United States Women’s National Team. She made history in January 2024 when she became the first woman to ever in 42 years to win the Football Writers Association Tribute Award. Emma lead Chelsea to write history yet again as the concluded the 2023-24 season by lifting the WSL trophy for the fifth time in a row and seventh time in nine years. Needless to say, Emma left Chelsea a proud woman and her legacy will last forever.
United States Women’s National Team, USWNT: 2024-present
On May 2024, Emma Hayes was unveiled as the USWNT manager.
Emma Hayes Managerial Honours
Chelsea Women
- FA Women’s Super League (6): 2015, 2017-18, 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24.
- FA WSL Spring Series: 2017.
- Women’s FA Cup (5): 2014-15, 2017-18, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23.
- FA Women’s League Cup (2): 2019-20, 2020-21.
- Women’s FA Community Shield: 2020.
Individual
- Football Writers Association Tribute Award: 2024
- The Best FIFA Football Coach: 2021.
- Women’s Super League Hall of Fame: 2021.
- FA WSL Manager of the Season: 2015, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023.
- LMA WSL Manager of the Season: 2017-18, 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23.
- FA WSL Manager of the Month: October 2019, January 2020, February 2020, January 2021, March 2022, November 2022.
Orders
- Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE): 2022.
- Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE): 2016.