Carducci, former general manager of Kansas City Current, brings with him a decade of experience in various roles in US Soccer and the NWSL. He led Current through a historic 2025 season, when they won the NWSL Shield in record time.
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Their season, however, came to a dramatic conclusion after Current fell to eighth seed Gotham FC in the quarterfinals, in one of the biggest upsets of the year. Five days later, the club announced that it had parted ways with Carducci.
Orlando has been without a general manager since November, after Haley Carter left the club for the Washington Spirit. It was a rare shakeup among NWSL headquarters from one title contender to another. Orlando immediately began searching for Carter’s replacement, which included a call to Carducci shortly after Current’s quarterfinal loss.
“A job like this doesn’t come around very often as the team has had the success it has had the last two years,” Carducci said. The Athletic on Mondays. “Often these types of roles open up due to a lack of success or a feeling that a team might need to go in another direction. That’s not the case here.”
Carter, the Pride’s outgoing general manager, was considered one of the best general managers in the NWSL. He helped rebuild the Pride into a championship-winning team in his three years with the club. The club won the NWSL Shield and the championship in 2024. He described the move to Washington as an opportunity he couldn’t turn down.
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Last year, the Pride reached the NWSL semifinals, despite losing star forward Barbra Banda to injury midway through the year. Like Current, they were eliminated by Gotham, the eventual 2025 champions.
“We have a great base, a great roster, a great group of people,” Carducci said of the Pride. “Being able to come in and add to that and refine some of the processes that are in place as we continue to fight for a championship was really appealing.”
In Carducci, the Pride hires a general manager capable of transforming an NWSL club into one of the best teams in the league. She first joined Current in 2023 as a football operations player, before being named interim general manager in May 2024. She was hired permanently later that same year. While at the club, Carducci helped acquire top stars, including goalkeeper Lorena and USWNT rising star Ally Sentnor. He also negotiated contract renewals for prominent players, including two-time Golden Boot winner Temwa Chawinga.
His experience extends far beyond his time at the Current. She is a former college player and coach who spent a total of seven years with US Soccer. She also previously worked for the NWSL as director of player affairs, helping to develop programs and regulations that led to an influx of global players into the NWSL.
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“Caitlin is a proven leader whose experience at all levels of women’s soccer and history of building championship-caliber rosters sets her apart,” Orlando Pride owner and president Mark Wilf said in a statement. “She emerged as the clear choice in our search with her deep experience, strong reputation and a vision that aligns with our culture. Caitlin is the ideal person to elevate the strong foundation we have established and position Pride for sustained success.”
Carducci’s experience is invaluable as Orlando turns the page toward 2025.
In a major move last week, Orlando let go of USWNT defender Emily Sams, who the club said has requested a new opportunity. The Pride acquired $650,000 in intraleague transfer funds from Angel City in exchange for the player, considered a club record figure that is the second-highest total in league history and a record sum for a defender.
The Pride brought in other defenders likely anticipating Sams’ move, including former Kansas City player Hailie Mace and Hannah Anderson of the Chicago Stars.
All of this predates the arrival of Carducci, whose first day in his new role begins this week.
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Carducci said his immediate goal, like every other GM in the league, is to win the 2026 NWSL Championship. “We know that’s never going to be easy in a league like this, when, on any given day, any team can win,” he said. “But that’s really important to us.”
“The other piece is creating a sustainable talent pool and roster, and part of that is looking at who we currently have, looking at people coming out of their contracts, looking for spaces where we could make some additions and adjust. But a lot of that will be working with (head coach) Seb (Hines) and the coaching staff and talking to them about how they see it and having a collaborative mindset as we move forward.”
That includes working with Mexican forward Lizbeth Jacquie Ovalle, who was acquired by the Pride for a world-record fee last year through the 2027 season with an option for 2028. Carducci admitted that Ovalle was a player on her “short list” while she was at the Current. “I think we just got a taste of what Jacquie can do,” Carducci said.
Carducci, a native of central Ohio, is not taking this new opportunity in Orlando lightly. He even called Carter, the Pride’s outgoing general manager, as he neared the final rounds of the interview process. He wanted Carter’s opinion on the club.
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“She couldn’t have spoken more glowingly about her time here, how much she appreciated it,” Carducci said. “It’s never an easy decision to move your life across the country, but that’s what made the decision to come to Orlando and lead this team easy.”
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Orlando Pride, NWSL, women’s soccer
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