A breakdown in leadership, communication and trust was the reason for the KC Current firing manager Matt Potter, general manager Camille Ashton said in a Friday afternoon news conference.
“As you’re all aware, we started the season 0-3 as a club,” Ashton said in a statement. “We were frustrated with the losses and the start of the season. Ultimately, that was then met with a lack of collaboration and partnership that we would otherwise expect from our head coach with management and ownership.”
The Current announced the firing of Potter, a 2022 Coach of the Year finalist, on Wednesday, ahead of a Challenge Cup match with the Houston Dash. Some 48 hours later, Ashton sat down with media members in Kansas City and nationally via Zoom.
While she did not give any specifics on the actions that ultimately led to Potter’s firing, Ashton made clear this was not a situation regarding Potter’s relationship with the players, nor was it related to concerns raised by Mykiaa Minniss and her family about the club’s treatment of their third-round draft pick. It simply had to do with Potter’s relationships with management and staff deteriorating during the slow start.
Potter has not responded to a request for comment from The Star.
“The culture that we stand for and that we continuously strive to uphold is deeply grounded in collaboration, strong communication, leadership and trust,” Ashton said. “Given that these were not enforced at a critical time in the season, we felt it was appropriate to take the decisive action.”
Ashton says that both the National Women’s Soccer League and the NWSL Players Association were made aware of the reasons for the firing of Potter and that the club was assured there is no reason for the NWSL or the NWSL Players Association to launch an investigation.
As for why the decision was made in the time frame it was, Ashton said the Current “act with immediacy in any circumstance and with any situation that comes to light.
“We felt that this was having a significant impact on our culture and on our players and staff,” Ashton said.
While Ashton addressed the media on Friday, players and the interim head coach were the first to answer questions about Potter’s dismissal — in Wednesday’s postgame press conference.
Both Lo LaBonta and Cece Kizer said that they had no problems with Potter, and interim head coach Caroline Sjöblom indicated that she planned on talking with Potter at some point in the aftermath.
As for why Ashton did not immediately address the firing with media members before the players had to play on Wednesday, Ashton said she was more focused on supporting the Current’s players and staff in person in Houston rather than immediately speaking on the news.
The Current are off to a slow start, sitting at 0-3-0 in NWSL play with a minus-6 goal differential. It’s hardly what was expected of a team with championship aspirations. But injuries have also played a significant role, as the Current have played their last two matches without center backs Elizabeth Ball and Alex Loera.
In addition, Hanna Glas, Desiree Scott, Morgan Gautrat and Kristen Hamilton are all critical pieces of the Current’s roster who have missed time to start the year.
While the slow start was part of the reason behind Potter’s firing, Ashton made clear the Current weren’t solely looking at the product on the field, even though they felt they should’ve been performing better.
“We’re well aware we’ve had a lot of injuries, but irrespective of that, we believe in the players that we do have and the players that are healthy,” Ashton said.
Ashton addresses concerns raised by Mykiaa Minniss and her family
Ahead of the Current’s match against the Portland Thorns on April 1, Nicole Minniss, mother of third-round Current draft selection Mykiaa Minniss, made a series of claims against KC regarding the treatment of her daughter during the preseason slate.
The NWSLPA said in a statement to The Star that they were making a “prompt and thorough inquiry.” While the results of the inquiry have not been made public and the NWSLPA has yet to respond to a follow-up request, Ashton stated that Potter’s firing had nothing to do with the claims of Minniss and her family.
In a direct question about those claims, Ashton first apologized to Minniss.
“I and the organization are sorry to hear that she has been dealing with the things that came to light,” Ashton said. “We certainly were not aware of that, and we hope, genuinely, that she’s doing okay, most importantly.
“We honestly aren’t aware of any violations of the CBA and believe that we treat every player equally within this organization, regardless of whether they are contracted or not.”
Timeline for coaching search and Caroline Sjöblom’s role
Ashton did not provide a timeline or confirmation of whether or not the Current will begin a search for a head coach. Instead, she offered support and expressed confidence in interim head coach Caroline Sjöblom.
“We believe in her, and it’s important that the players believe in her, which we’ve seen so far in the short amount of time,” Ashton said. “We will just continue to evaluate. And I will be around and transparent and available to the players as we kind of move forward here and make sure that we are moving in the right direction as an organization.”
This story was originally published April 21, 2023 6:44 PM.