Laura Harvey and Vlatko Andonovski Discuss the Future of Reign FC
Earlier today Seattle Reign FC announced that Laura Harvey has stepped down from her role as head coach and general manager, and that two-time NWSL champion Vlatko Andonovski will be the new head coach of the club.
The Bold sat down with Harvey and Andonovski to ask about the future of the club, why Harvey felt Andonovski was the right fit, and how Andonovski views Reign FC’s unique culture.
The Bold: Laura, you’ve been here since day one. How would you describe the team culture you’ve built?
Laura Harvey: When the league started, there were a few teams who had a bit of history, whether it be involvement in youth soccer, WPS (Women’s Professional Soccer), or WPSL (Women’s Premier Soccer League). The Reign was just completely new, and it enabled us to go in whatever direction we wanted to. There wasn’t really a path of what it should look like.
Honestly, the personalities within the players, personalities within the people who work for the or have worked for the team, was what made the club what it is today. I am very proud of what we’ve created together.
The Bold: Vlatko, having seen Reign FC as a club from the outside and seen the league grow since the inaugural season, can you discuss the league’s culture and what you’ve seen from Reign FC looking in?
Vlatko Andonovski: The NWSL is becoming a very desirable league with players from all around the world who now want to be part of it. The league has players and owners who share the same mindset of growing the women’s game and taking it to the best possible level.
In terms of Reign FC, it’s been an organization that I personally have always admired. Both Laura and Bill Predmore have done a tremendous job to build the culture of the team and make it an organization people want to be part of. I’ve talked to so many players and coaches that would love to be part of the organization, myself included.
The Bold: Laura, you felt Vlatko was the right coach come in and carry things on. What makes you feel that way?
Laura Harvey: The big thing for me is Vlatko and I see the game very similarly in the way our teams play. I’ve said this on record, I think Kansas and Seattle changed the dynamic of women’s soccer in this country, in my opinion, for the better.
We collectively changed that dynamic and the league is built in a way where if there is a transition within teams, whether its coaches or players, you have to try and get people in who immediately fit what the culture of that team is. In Europe, you can blow teams up and start again, but it’s difficult to do here.
From a football perspective, I felt the transition would be good with someone who I respected as a coach and saw the game in a similar way. I felt there was no one in the league that could come in and get the respect of the players apart from Vlatko. That was important, that was the big driver for me. Bill asked me about people who could take over and I didn’t give any people, I gave a single person. That was how I felt and I think there was only one person who could drive this club on and that is Vlatko.
The Bold: Vlatko, what does it mean to you to know Laura felt you were the right person for this job?
Vlatko Andonovski: Laura has been one of the best coaches in the world that I’ve been around. Her endorsing me or recommending me to Bill is an honor to me. I hope I can continue what she has built in the past and take Seattle to the next level.
One thing I know for sure is I will be looking for help at different times, and the first person I will call is Laura.
The Bold: Vlatko, you mentioned that this was a challenge you wanted to take on. What were the conversations like with Laura about this position?
Vlatko Andonovski: I called Laura before I met with Bill and what she shared made Seattle a desirable place. Everything I thought I knew, I got more details, I confirmed Seattle is an organization that cares about the players, the people, its supporters and the community.
The Bold: Laura, how to do you see Vlatko carrying this club forward?
Laura Harvey: When Vlatko and I spoke, I gave my opinion about where the club is at, where the team is at, and areas where I think we need to improve on. None of it is a shock to the people who are already here. The fact that from having that conversation on what needs to happen and him wanting to take on the challenge shows the type of the guy he is. He wants to push this club forward. I believe that if the pieces we’ve been trying to fill fall into place and Vlatko can get all the pieces he wants to bring in right, there’s no doubt in my mind this club is moving in the right direction.
Anyone who has been here for two minutes knows the driver of this club is success. As long as the people in the organization have that, and Vlatko has that in abundance, and knows exactly what to do to get it, I believe the club is going in the right direction. The culture that has been built, Bill and Teresa are the biggest driver of it and they want success. They are willing to do whatever it takes to have that and the understanding that Vlatko can help him achieve that will help drive this.
The Bold: Laura and Vlatko, both of you have been with clubs not having a history coming into this league. What was it like to come in to Reign FC and FC Kansas City with a clean slate and build something from the ground up?
Laura Harvey: It’s different. I had been at a club with tons of history in Arsenal where you’re put on a path that you can try to tweak it and chip away at it the way you want, but it’s hard to completely set your yellow brick road out and go on your own path with a club with such history.
It’s hard work starting from scratch, year one was hard work. Now into year six, there are foundations in place with all clubs in the NWSL. It’s all about the pathway that each club wants to take, and the cool thing about the NWSL is every team sits in the same area of wanting the same thing. Everyone wants the league to survive, to thrive, and keep pushing it forward. My opinion is the Reign have been a huge part of shaping what that looks like.
Vlatko Andonovski: I don’t think it’s much different than what Laura and Bill went through in Seattle. We were like Seattle starting from the ground up with nothing, and it was an extremely hard but enjoyable process. Personally, myself and Huw Williams [former FC Kansas City general manager] had an enormous impact on everything we did in Kansas City. We had a chance to build it the way we wanted and something we were very excited about.
The process of building it never stops. We came to the corner where we felt comfortable, and then the next season was the rebuilding process. I don’t think the process is going to stop now when I come to Seattle, the process has to keep moving on.
The Bold: Laura and Vlatko, it’s often said that you both have had the same coaching style in the league focusing on possession-based soccer. For both of you, what was it like to be the two coaches who set that path?
Laura Harvey: It was always hard for me because I’d lose to him in the games that mattered [laughs]. One of the other coaches in the league said to me that Vlatko and I are the purists of them, and we don’t change too much of what we do no matter what is happening. Sometimes it was definitely to our detriment.
We are very similar but also have our differences. In my opinion, that is needed for the team and the club. As much as we see the game in a similar way, there are always going to be things that are slightly different. The players will thrive on that and will enjoy the new voice and nuances of the game Vlatko will bring.
Vlatko Andonovski: Whether we played Seattle in the first game of the season or the last, as a coach I enjoy those games. At the same time, I was afraid of Laura and Seattle, and the quality of the team they were. I knew it was going to be a good game and put up a good show with good product on the field the fans would enjoy watching.
Laura has done a tremendous job with changing the dynamics and the landscape of women’s soccer in this country. Coming into this league, I asked myself what I can do to make a difference in this game. Both of us have achieved a lot but we aren’t going to stop here. We’re going to keep going and improving the league to make sure the new generations coming in are coming in with the mindset similar to what we have to make this game better.
The Bold: Laura, how do you envision Vlatko leaving his own imprint on this club?
Laura Harvey: I think Vlatko already understands what this club is about and where it wants to go. Everybody’s going to make their own path and that’s what’s exciting. It was the right time for me to step away and I’m glad the club has someone who has the passion and a drive to push the club forward, in his direction now. We’ve achieved a lot and it has been great, but it’s time now for something new. I’m excited as a fan now to watch what that is.
The Bold: Vlatko, what excites you most about joining a club with such a strong culture already?
Vlatko Andonovski: The opportunity and the mindset of the whole organization to do whatever it takes and provide for the players and the coaching staff to be successful is tremendous. The support and logistics for the technical staff is great. Whatever we need to be successful they will give us. I am excited about the opportunity and ready to take on the challenge.
