North Carolina Courage head coach Paul Riley is among 10 candidates for FIFA’s highest women’s coaching honor. (Andy Mead/YCJ Photo)

U.S. women’s national team head coach Jill Ellis and North Carolina Courage head coach Paul Riley were named among 10 candidates for the Best FIFA Women’s Coach Wednesday.

Ellis, who guided the Americans to their second consecutive Women’s World Cup championship and fourth overall, will step down from that position after the current Victory Tour.

Riley, a Long Island resident, guided the Courage to the National Women’s Soccer League crown last year, losing but once.

The Courage (7-3-4, 25 points) is in second place, trailing Portland Thorns FC (7-2-5, 26) by a point.

The 10 nominees:

Milena Bertolini (Italy/Italian national team)

Jill Ellis (USA/USA national team)

Peter Gerhardsson (Sweden/Swedish national team)

Futoshi Ikeda (Japan/Japanese U-20 national team)

Antonia “Toña” Is (Spain/Spanish U-17 national team)

Joe Montemurro (Australia/Arsenal)

Phil Neville (England/English national team)

Reynald Pedros (France/Olympique Lyonnais)

Paul Riley (England/North Carolina Courage)

Sarina Wiegman (Netherlands/Dutch national team)

The winner will be announced at The Best FIFA Football Awards ceremony at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan Sept. 23.

You can vote for the award through Aug. 19 at

FIFA.com 

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.