The Washington Spirit fired head coach Kris Ward on Monday amid a disappointing 1-6-9 season.

Ward, 42, helped the Spirit win the franchise’s first NWSL championship in 2021 but was undone by an ongoing 15-match winless streak.

The team plans to appoint an interim coach. Assistant coach Angela Salem will run upcoming training sessions, The Athletic reported.

Washington’s only league win this season was a 2-1 decision against the OL Reign in the May 1 season opener.

Ward joined the Spirit as an assistant coach in August 2020. He became the acting head coach in August 2021 after Richie Burke was suspended and later fired following an investigation into abusive behavior toward players.

Ward was named the permanent head coach in December.

–Field Level Media