Michelle French

Michelle Ann French (born January 27, 1977) is an American soccer assistant coach for the United States women's national soccer team. She is a former United States women's national soccer team player and received a silver medal as a member of the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team.

Michelle French
Personal information
Full name Michelle Ann French[1]
Date of birth (1977-01-27) January 27, 1977
Place of birth Ft. Lewis, Washington, U.S.
Position(s) Midfielder
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1995–1999 Portland Pilots
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2001 Washington Freedom
2002–2003 San Jose CyberRays
2004 Seattle Sounders Women
2006–2009 Seattle Sounders Women
International career
1997–1999 United States U21
1997–2001 United States 14 (0)
Managerial career
2005– United States youth
2005 Washington Huskies (assistant)
2002–2003 UCLA Bruins (assistant)
2012 Seattle Sounders Women
2013–2017 United States U20
2017 United States (assistant)
2017– Portland Pilots
Medal record
Women's football (soccer)
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 2000 Sydney Team competition
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Early life

Born in Ft. Lewis, Washington, French was a two-time Parade High School All-America at Kennedy High School in Burien, Washington.

Playing career

Collegiate

French attended the University of Portland from 1995 to 1999 where she was a four-year starter for the University of Portland Pilots Women's Soccer Team.[2][1]

At Portland, she appeared in three Final Fours and was a first-time All-American.[3]

In 1997 she was a nominee and a finalist in 1998 for the Hermann Award for the National Player of the Year.[4]

Club

French played for the Washington Freedom in the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) in 2001. She played with the San Jose CyberRays from 2002 to 2003.

French played in the W-League with the Seattle Sounders Women in 2004, 2006–2009.

International

French was a member of the U-21 National Team from 1994 to 1999. She captained the team at the 1997, 1998 and 1999 Nordic Cup competitions which the U.S. won in 1997 and 1999.[4]

She was called up to the United States women's national soccer team and earned her first cap on May 11, 1997 against England.[4]

Coaching

French holds a USSF National "A" coaching license and has several years coaching experience at the youth, high school, and collegiate levels. In 2012, it was announced that she had signed a two-year contract as head coach for the Seattle Sounders Women.[5]

In February 2013, Michelle French joined USSF as a coach for United States women's national under-20 soccer team. She worked on all aspects of the United States under-20 women's national team program and also worked with under-18 and under-17 women's national teams. French prepared the under-20 team for the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Canada[6] and the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Papua New Guinea, in which the team failed to win a medal. In February 2017, US Soccer reassigned her to be a full-time assistant coach for the senior women's national team. On December 15, 2017, the University of Portland, French's alma mater, announced she had been hired to replace Garret Smith as head coach of their women's soccer program, the Portland Pilots.[7][8]

Honors

Michelle was awarded a Golden Scarf by the Seattle Sounders FC on June 5, 2010.[9]

See also

References
  1. "Defender: Michelle French". SoccerTimes.com. Archived from the original on August 18, 2016. Retrieved June 25, 2012.
  2. "Sounders Women Coaching Staff Bio: Michelle French". Seattle Sounders Women. Archived from the original on February 3, 2013. Retrieved June 25, 2012.
  3. "Where Are They Now: Michelle French". Seattle Post Intelligencer. June 2, 2004. Retrieved September 23, 2012.
  4. "Michelle French biography". University of Washington. Archived from the original on November 16, 2010. Retrieved September 23, 2012.
  5. "Seattle Hires New Coach". USL W-League. Archived from the original on March 14, 2012. Retrieved June 25, 2012.
  6. "Michelle French Named Head Coach for the U.S. Under-20 Women's National Team". U.S.Soccer.
  7. "Portland hires former Pilots star Michelle French as its women's soccer coach". December 16, 2017.
  8. "Michelle French, B.J. Snow Join Senior WNT Staff". February 24, 2017. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  9. "Golden Scarf: Michelle French". Seattle Sounders FC. Retrieved June 25, 2012.
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