The North Carolina Courage have found their next head coach.
Mak Lind has been hired to lead the NWSL club in Cary, North Carolina, the team announced Saturday morning. The 37-year-old will become the Courage’s third head coach in franchise history, coming to the NWSL after two seasons coaching Swedish team BK Häcken.
advertise
Linder arrived in North Carolina earlier this week and began his term immediately.
“I am extremely excited and humbled by the opportunity to serve as the next head coach of the North Carolina Courage. This is a club with an incredible history and clear expectations to compete for trophies,” Linder said in a statement. “I strongly identify with the system and style of play that is in place and look forward to continuing to develop it with the players and staff. I can’t wait to get started and fully integrate myself and my family into this community.”
Lind has been working as a coach since 2016, mainly in different departments in Sweden. Under his leadership, BK Häcken qualified for the UEFA Women’s Champions League twice and reached the quarter-finals in 2024, losing to Paris Saint-Germain. Last season, BK Häcken won the league title with a record of 21 wins, 1 draw and 4 losses and a goal difference of +68.
As a player, Linde also played for several clubs in Sweden, including the BK Häcken men’s team. As a centre-back, he made 10 appearances for the Lebanese national team.
advertise
BK Häcken announced Linde’s resignation on December 4, saying in a statement that a transfer had been “agreed with another club” for Linde’s services. They replaced him with Elena Sadiku, who had coached at Celtic Football Club.
“It’s really complicated and I don’t know if my emotions have stabilized yet,” Linde said in a press release from the Swedish club. “We’ve created something unique where relationships are absolutely crucial. As a leader, you want to develop your surroundings and see them grow. I think we’ve succeeded in that – developing players within the environment at BK Häcken. For me, I feel like I’ve become a more skilled coach, both in terms of football and leadership.”
Lind’s arrival marks a clear break with the Courage’s tenure under Paul Riley. Paul Riley coached the Courage to two NWSL championships in 2018 and 2019 before being fired in 2021 after multiple former players accused him of sexual coercion and other sexual misconduct in a lengthy investigative report. A joint NWSL and NWSLPA investigation substantiated the allegations, which continued during his tenure as head coach of the Courage.
Two coaches who have led the club since Riley became a staff member. Sean Nahas worked for the Courage for five seasons under Riley and became head coach after he was fired. Nahas captained the club until August last year, when he was replaced on an interim basis by Nathan Thackeray, who had been the Courage’s goalkeeping coach since 2017.
advertise
Thackeray was not retained by the Courage. Earlier this week, he was hired as head coach of Trinity FC Dallas of the USL League.
Led by Nahas and Thackeray last season, the Courage missed the playoffs by one spot, finishing ninth in the NWSL standings with a record of 9 wins, 9 draws and 8 losses and a -2 goal difference.
Judging from his comments in the press release about resigning from BK Häcken, the Courage may be getting a coach who wants to emphasize the offense.
“I’m kind of obsessed with scoring goals and how we score them,” Linder said.
The Courage have recently added some offensive firepower, signing Swedish forward Evelyn Ijeh from AC Milan. Ije, 24, has played three times for the Swedish national team and is signed with the Courage until 2029. In the 2024-25 season, she scored 12 goals in 29 games and finished third in the Serie A Golden Boot.
advertise
Ijeh played for BK Häcken in 2021, but her time there did not overlap with Lind’s tenure as head coach.
“Evelyn is a dynamic attacking player who brings speed, physicality and a real presence in the final third,” Courage chief football officer Ceri Bowley said. “She fits our game perfectly – aggressive in transition, dedicated in press conferences and creating dangerous attacking space behind the defence.”
A new era for the Courage will begin on March 14 when they open the 2026 season against Louisville Athletic at WakeMed Soccer Park.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NC Courage hires Sweden’s Mak Lind as NWSL club’s next coach