Ex-USWNT coach Jill Ellis accused of fostering ‘abusive environment’ with NWSL’s San Diego Wave

Former San Diego Wave employee Brittany Alvarado accused team president Jill Ellis of fostering an environment “devastating” to workers’ mental health

Alvarado, who was the club’s video and creative manager, released a statement on Wednesday via X where she made allegations against the organization and the former two-time World Cup champion USWNT coach.

“Despite its public proclamations, the organization often perpetuated discrimination against women and demonstrated a complete disregard for their long-term mental health,” Alvarado wrote.

“Despite my unwavering dedication to my job and the sport of women’s soccer, I found myself trapped in an environment where my mental health was relentlessly compromised. It became agonizingly clear that to protect my well-being, I had no choice but to walk away from my dream job with Wave FC.”

“On behalf of myself and my former colleagues, the treatment we endured under club President Jill Ellis has been nothing short of life-altering and devastating to our mental health,” she added.

Alvarado, who began working for the club in March 2023, alleged that nearly 75 percent of the 30-plus employees who were fired or quit since the inaugural season in 2022 were women.

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She also claimed that Ellis has “no place in this game.”

“She prioritizes personal gain over employee well-being, fostering an environment that enables abusive behavior,” Alvarado wrote.

The Wave quickly denied the allegations with a statement on their social media accounts , defending the former USWNT head coach.

“San Diego FC has been made aware of a recent social media post by a former employee that contains inaccurate and defamatory statements about the club.

“Not only does the post contain a fabricated email, but the claims made therein are categorically false, including the ones directed at our President Jill Ellis.”

The club added that they are “currently reviewing this situation” and intend on pursuing “all legal avenues available to appropriately address this matter.”

Two former Wave employees also came forward on X to support Alvardo’s claims of an unhealthy work environment.

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Bernadette O’Donnell, the team’s former senior communications director, alleged that she was fired shortly after talking to her boss as she had “no hope for my life and didn’t want to be alive most of the times” because of the “unhealthy work environment.”

Casey Stoney was let go as head coach of the Wave on June 24 after a disappointing 3-2-6 record in 2024.

Stoney expressed regret on social media that she “wasn’t given the time to bring a Championship to San Diego.”

Alvarado expressed her admiration for working with Stoney, highlighting her positive impact on the club.

“It was an honor to work with the players on the team and coaching staff, particularly former Head Coach Casey Stoney,” Alvarado said in her post. “Casey was an influential leader who always looked out for others, commanding the locker room and inspiring me as an LGBTQ+ member.”

“The time for accountability in the @nwsl is now,” Alvarado also wrote, demanding that the league take immediate action and fire Ellis.

These are not the first accusations made against Ellis, who led the USWNT to back-to-back World Cup championships during her five-year stint from 2014-19.

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In 2020, former USWNT player Sydney Leroux, who currently plays for Angel City FC, told “ The Crack Podcast ” that she “liked [Ellis] as a person” but not as a coach.

“We won in spite of [Ellis]. She’s not good for people’s mental health, that’s for sure. The best thing was for her to go,” Leroux added during her appearance on the podcast.

Ellis was also mentioned multiple times in the 2022 Yates Report over allegations into abusive behaviors in the NWSL and professional women’s soccer.

Ellis and Sunil Gulati, the former U.S. soccer president, were told by USWNT about abusive behavior from NWSL coaches, per the report, but no action against the coaches was taken until the Yates Report was released.

Four coaches, in the end, we banned from the NWSL, though Ellis did not see any punishment stemming from the report.

USWNT legend and San Diego striker Alex Morgan was quick to address the situation on social media on Wednesday.

“I am disappointed to hear about the allegations made by multiple former Wave FC employees today,” she wrote on X.

“As players, we have worked hard to build a team that is surrounded by an inclusive, positive and safe environment. But it’s important to me that we are creating that environment for both players AND staff throughout the entire organization,” Morgan continued. “Equity in the workplace is something I have and will continue to advocate for. I want to be proud of what we are building at the Wave but it is clear that there is so much work to be done.”

The Wave, currently 10th in the NWSL, play the Portland Thorns on Friday night.

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