Hue Menzies guided the Jamaican national side to the 2019 Women’s World Cup. (Photo courtesy of the Florida Kraze Krush)

NJ/NY Gotham FC has a new coach.

Well, at least a interim one.

Former Jamaican women’s national team head coach Hue Menzies was named interim head coach for the rest of the National Women’s Soccer League season on Saturday.

Menzies directed the Reggae Girlz into the 2019 Women’s World Cup while winning the 2018 Concacaf Women’s Coach of the Year award.

He replaces Scott Parkinson, who left Gotham FC in a mutual parting of ways on Thursday, according to Gotham FC.

The holder of a U.S. Soccer A-License, Menzies serves as a member of the Concacaf Technical Study Group and the U.S. Club Soccer board of directors.

“I want to thank Yael and ownership for giving me the opportunity to work with such gifted athletes,” Menzies said in a statement. “This is an incredibly committed team and there’s still time left in the season to turn things around. I’m excited to get to know these players and help aid their progress anyway I can.”

Menzies inherits a 4-8-0 side that is in 11th place out of 12 teams, only two points ahead of the last-place North Carolina Courage.

He becomes the first Black head coach in NWSL history, according to a Gotham FC press release, and brings 35-plus years of coaching experience to the team.

Philadelphia Inquirer soccer writer Jonathan Tannenwald said on Twitter that “Menzies isn’t the first Black manager of a NWSL team. Seb Hines became the first when he took charge of the Orlando Pride after Amanda Cromwell’s departure.”

Menzies has served as the executive D=director of Florida Kraze Krush for the last 10 years and spent five years as the head coach of Jamaica women’s team. He also was a co-founder and director for the Lonestar Soccer Association in Austin, Texas and an Olympic Development Program coach at the national, state and regional level for 15 years. Menzies also served as an assistant coach for the University of Texas’s women’s team.

“Hue is a soccer lifer and a true professional with a track record of success when it comes to building programs and developing players,” Gotham FC general manager Yael Averbuch West said in a statement. “I’m confident Hue will help our players reach their potential this season while we continue our coaching search.”

Menzies became the second interim coach of a pro soccer team in the metropolitan area this year. Nick Cushing replaced Ronny Deila on an interim basis at New York City FC after the latter left for Standard Liege in Belgium in June.

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.