Sky Blue FC announced Wednesday it had hired Denise Reddy its the new head coach.
Reddy succeeds Christy Holly, who resigned last summer, at the National Women’s Soccer League club.
Most recently an assistant coach with the Washington Spirit, Reddy is a New Jersey native who has served as a head coach in three different countries.
“Words cannot describe how excited and honored I am to be the Head Coach of Sky Blue FC,” Reddy said. “This is where my coaching career started, and it feels great to be back in Jersey and part of such a professional organization. I am looking forward to starting this journey with such top-class players and cannot wait to get on the pitch.”
Reddy is a UEFA Pro Licensed coach with experience as a head coach in Sweden, Denmark and the United States, making her coaching philosophy an extremely unique one that incorporates a variety of cultures and playing styles.
“We are thrilled that Denise has agreed to join our organization,” said Steven Temares, Sky Blue FC co-owner. “Her diverse experience, passion and approach to the game are a wonderful fit. We strongly believe Denise is the right person to provide our players with the development, preparation and leadership they deserve, and we look forward to the upcoming season.”
Reddy began her coaching career in 2007 as the head coach of Jersey Sky Blue, which was the United Soccer League W-League side that preceded Sky Blue FC as a professional club. She served as an assistant for the Chicago Red Stars from 2008 to 2010 before joining Linköpings FC in Sweden the following year. After working there as an assistant coach during the 2011 season, which saw Linköpings FC reach the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals, she took over as head coach of the club in 2012.
Reddy then made the move to B93/HIK/Skjold in Denmark, where she was the head coach from 2012 to 2014. She followed that up with a two-year campaign as head coach of Vittsjö GIK in Sweden before coming back stateside to work as an assistant coach for the Washington Spirit under former Sky Blue FC head coach Jim Gabarra. In her first year in Washington, the Spirit reached the NWSL championship match.
“Denise is a Jersey Girl who brings a wealth of knowledge and professional experience to Sky Blue FC,” Sky Blue FC president and general manager Tony Novo said. “She has been a part of the fabric that is New Jersey soccer for many years, and she also brings a coaching outlook that holds various elements from throughout the world. We strongly feel that Denise is the perfect candidate to assume leadership of Sky Blue FC, and we are very excited to see what the future holds with her.”
Sky Blue FC is the sixth professional team that Reddy has coached across Europe and the United States. She also played internationally for 11 years as a center back for Umeå IK and Malmö FF in Sweden. While performing for Malmö FF from 1995-2005, she served as team captain for seven consecutive seasons and helped the squad reach the UEFA Champions League semifinals in 2004. Prior to playing professionally, she was a two-year captain and NSCAA All-American at Rutgers University.
