Photo Credit: Russell Lansford-Imagn Images
Angel City FC announced Wednesday that it is parting ways with head coach Alex Straus, effective immediately. Senior assistant coach Leif Gunnar Smerud will act as interim head coach while Angel City conducts a search for its new head coach.
Angel City sits in 12th place in the 16-team league standings, having won four games, drawn one, and lost six.
“The club’s focus remains on supporting its players, competing at the highest level, and building a high-performance environment that gives the players the best opportunity to succeed,” the coaching change announcement read.
Straus joined Angel City in April 2025. Before joining the National Women’s Soccer League, he led Bayern Munich Women to back-to-back Frauen-Bundesliga titles after winning the league in Norway with Sandviken/Brann.
“Alex brought real energy and passion to Angel City, developing our style of play and overseeing the important development of our players,” said Angel City Sporting Director Mark Parsons in a release. “He guided one of the youngest rosters in NWSL history through a pivotal period of growth. We are deeply grateful for Alex’s leadership and the progress made during his tenure, and we wish him nothing but success in his next chapter.”
