Matt Brown / ISI Photos
A back-to-back World Cup winner as coach of the U.S. women’s national soccer team, Jill Ellis frequently was asked why funding for women’s sports lagged far behind that of men, and why her team wasn’t afforded better time slots on TV.
“Having been on the sidelines for so long and being almost on the front lines of women’s sport, you definitely get an education on some of the challenges that filter down to the athletes and the coaches,” said Ellis, who in June of 2021 was named the first president of the expansion San Diego Wave FC of the NWSL. “A lot of that made me realize that we didn’t have women making C-suite decisions and executive decisions — not just advocating, but also making decisions on how to move the needle on women’s sports.
“When I went into this job, my North Star was — how can I make this better, both for those who come next into leadership roles but also for the players?”
Ellis’ soccer résumé is a distinguished one. As a player, she won a Virginia high school state championship and an under-19 club national championship and was a third-team All-America selection at William & Mary. As a head coach, she went 229-45-14 with six consecutive Pac-10 championships at UCLA.
But the move to the front office with an NWSL expansion team was a drastic pivot. Ellis proved to be a quick study. Led by a female general manager and a female head coach, the Wave made the playoffs and broke the NWSL’s single-game attendance record in their first season.
“I told my owner I didn’t go to Wharton, but I know how to build a culture, hire great people and empower them,” Ellis said. “And that’s a similarity. You’re building, whether you’re building a team for a World Cup or building an organization.”
— Bill King
Jill Ellis
President, San Diego Wave FC
Born: Folkestone, United Kingdom
Education: William & Mary, English literature
Family: Spouse, Betsy Stephenson; child, Lily Stephenson-Ellis (18)
More about Jill
Something that instantly makes my day better: A text from my daughter from college.
Advice to my younger self: Pay less attention to what others think — trust your instincts.
If I did not work in sports, I would be … : I love teaching, so potentially an English professor.
Proudest professional achievement: To have built a home for professional athletes and fans to come together in a sold-out stadium is an amazing feeling.
Person in sports business I’d most like to meet: There are many incredible people I would like to spend time with, but certainly Magic Johnson would be someone I would like to meet. He has transitioned from a professional athlete to a wonderfully successful businessperson. He has given back to the community in the process of growing and evolving as a person and an enterprise.
I wish I’d known at my career’s start: To see failure as growth.
