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Introducing Sam Laity, the new head coach of the Houston Dash

ByLouis Roesch|
May 22, 2022; Seattle, Washington, USA; OL Reign first assistant coach Sam Laity before the match
May 22, 2022; Seattle, Washington, USA; OL Reign first assistant coach Sam Laity before the match | Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Today was all about the introduction Sam Laity as the fourth head coach in Houston Dash history. Laity comes at a time when the foundation has been laid and the team is trending up. The longtime OL Reign assistant looks forward to the opportunity.

The big question now is what has he learned in Seattle over the last decade with the Reign and how can he transpose that to Houston.

"One of the reasons why I'm sat here today is I'm ambitious, and I want to win... for me to have left that organization (OL Reign) where the demands and expectations are that we win today and win tomorrow. It is very, very, very beneficial for me to be here and experience this challenge with the Houston Dash.”

This probably one reason why the Dash general manager Alex Singer felt so strongly about hiring Laity who has not had any head coaching experience outside of five games as an interim. It does bring up the one question that was not asked today but was in the back of many people's mind. Was former interim head coach and first assistant Sarah Lowdon considered for the vacancy and if so what made Laity a better hire? That is a question for another day.

It's nice to see that the Houston hierarchy believes they got this hire right. It's nice to see they have hired someone who has been around a winning organization for a long time. It's a big, bold move for the Houston Dash. Knowing that players had input into the decision means that if God forbid things go off the rail, there is no one to blame but themselves.

The Houston Dash hired someone who has been around soccer for a very long time and yet is yong enough to relate to today's players. team owner Ted Segal may have worded the hire best.

"We were impressed by Sam's approach to player development as well as his ambition in fostering a fast and physical style of play that we expect will resonate with fans and help the Dash build on the success of the 2022 season explained Segal."

Welcome to Houston Sam Laity. Here's to winning in 2023.

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