Soccer Tejas
HOUSTON – The Houston Dash has announced the appointment of Angela Hucles Mangano as President of Women’s Soccer, and she will also serve as the team’s Chief Soccer Officer, the club announced on Monday.
The Houston club had been searching for a head of soccer operations after GM Alex Singer was let go in July due to the lack of positive results on the field, as stated by Club President Jess O’Neill.
Hucles Mangano comes to Houston with more than 40 years of experience. She recently parted ways with Angel City Football Club, where she was their General Manager. Although she was given a different title in Houston than General Manager, her responsibilities will be similar.
“We are thrilled to welcome Angela and her family to Houston. As a trailblazer who has dedicated her life to advancing the sport across all levels, Angela presented an impressive plan for the future of the Houston Dash that aligns with our vision for sustained success on-and-off the pitch,” Houston Dash majority owner, Ted Segal said. “We look forward to the next chapter with Angela leading the mission to elevate the Dash into a consistent contender in the NWSL.”
The Dash finished in 14th place, last in the 2024 standings, in the NWSL. With Hucles Mangano’s hiring, the club hopes to create some change, so these negative results finally come to an end.
Leaving L.A.
In 2021, Hucles Mangano joined Angel City as Vice President of Player Development and Operations. As part of her responsibilities, Hucles Mangano is credited with developing a comprehensive player wellness and development program at Angel City FC, offering educational opportunities and access to off-field resources for the players.
The following year, she was promoted to General Manager, where she played a key role in assembling a roster that led the club to its first-ever playoff appearance in 2023. She oversaw all aspects of soccer operations for the team, and earlier this year, she was instrumental in securing a nine-acre site for the organization’s new performance center, set to open in 2025.
Yet, not all was smooth for Hucles Mangano in the Los Angeles-based club. In October 2024 the NWSL completed an investigation into ACFC for violating salary cap regulations and imposed disciplinary actions based on its findings.
The investigation revealed that in 2023, Angel City entered into five side agreements with players that impacted multi-year contracts but were not disclosed to the NWSL. These agreements included both compensation and additional benefits not reflected in the Standard Player Agreement. As a result, the undisclosed benefits caused Angel City to exceed the salary cap by about $50,000 for four weeks during the 2024 season.
As consequences to this action Angel City was fined $200,000 and had three points deducted from its 2024 standings as well as having their President and CEO Julie Uhrman, along with General Manager Angela Hucles Mangano, being suspended from all player transaction duties for the remainder of the 2024 calendar year.
As stated by the NWSL the league will now conduct yearly annual audits to ensure compliance and transparency with league regulation.
Hucles Mangano and Angel City seem to have left on good terms, and many attribute her departure to “cleaning house” of the new ownership of the L.A.-based club back in July when Willow Bay and Bob Iger acquired a controlling interest earlier this year.
“As general manager, she elevated our standards, secured the largest dedicated performance center in the NWSL and assembled a world-class leadership team that supports our players and staff in every way,” club president Julie Uhrman said in a news release. “She has always led with integrity, putting the needs of our players and soccer staff above all else. Her contributions are immeasurable, her impact everlasting, and her passion unmatched. We are forever grateful.”
Two Gold Medals, Over 100 USWNT caps
Hucles Mangano is a two-time Olympic gold medalist with the U.S. Women’s National Team, earning over 100 caps. She also represented the USWNT at the 2003 and 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cups, winning two bronze medals.
The newly named president also played in the U.S. with several professional leagues before the NWSL was established including the Hampton Roads Piranhas in the W-League. She played nine seasons between the Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA) and Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) with the Boston Breakers and the Boston Renegades.
After retiring from soccer like many athletes she became a commentator for ESPN, NBC, and FOX, providing coverage of international sporting events.
The decorated midfielder gained outside-the-pitch experience in the non-profit sector, including a two-year role as Regional Director for Up2Us Sports, and has served on the board of organizations such as You Can Play, which promotes a safe and inclusive environment for LGBTQ+ athletes, coaches, and fans.
Fresh Start
There is no denying that Hucles Mangano has experience in the sport that we love and that she can be a game changer in the processional level soccer in “Space City” that seems to have fizzled out. Perhaps she can help the Dynamo restore its original glory and have the Dash reach its potential glory.
“I’m ecstatic for this new opportunity with the Houston Dash and completely energized for this project ahead of us,” Hucles Mangano said. “Being able to bring in the experiences I’ve had in this sport to date and provide the type of stability and consistency to the club that served my teams well as a player and executive, will be core components to the high-performance growth of the organization. I’m excited for this transformation and to work with key members of leadership, the staff, the players, the fans, and community of Houston.”
There is nowhere but up for both of teams at the Club and people expressed more excitement than concern with the hiring of Hucles Mangano and are eager to see their team as top contender once again.
