The Orlando Pride hired Mykell Bates and Lewis Amos as assistant coaches and Brian Periman as goalkeeper coach, the club announced Oct. 1, 2026. The three coaches will join assistant coach Scott Sutter on interim head coach Yolanda Thomas’ technical staff. The hires add coaching experience from professional clubs, academy programs, national-team environments and college soccer.
Bates joins the Orlando Pride after serving as an assistant coach for Angel City FC during the past four seasons. His previous coaching experience includes roles with U.S. Soccer, the Los Angeles Football Club Academy and Santa Clara University during a 13-year career in the sport. Bates also has a background as a former U.S. Youth National Team player.
Bates represented the United States at the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup. His experience includes player development and individualized technical training work. He will serve as one of the Pride’s two new assistant coaches.
Lewis Amos brings technical leadership experience
Amos most recently served as Girls ECNL Director and USL W League Head Coach for Sporting Jax. He has more than a decade of experience in technical leadership, coaching and player development roles in the United States and England. His previous positions include work with Jacksonville FC, Tulsa SC, Stevenage FC and Oklahoma Energy FC, among others.
Amos holds UEFA A and U.S. Soccer A-Senior coaching licenses. Before moving into coaching, he played professionally as a goalkeeper in England, Italy and the United States. His background adds both academy leadership and playing experience to the Orlando Pride staff.
Brian Periman takes over goalkeeper coaching
Periman joins the Orlando Pride after spending the previous year as Head of Goalkeeping for USL Super League club DC Power Football Club. Before that, he served as an assistant coach and goalkeeping coach for Spokane Zephyr FC. His coaching background includes work across professional, youth national-team and college soccer.
Periman worked with the U.S. Youth Women’s National Team program as a talent identification scout and goalkeeper coach. He also held coaching roles with the women’s soccer programs at the University of Arizona, University of North Texas, New Mexico State University, Florida International University and East Carolina University. Periman will oversee goalkeeper coaching on Thomas’ technical staff.
Scott Sutter remains on the technical staff
Sutter was promoted to assistant coach following the departure of Giles Barnes earlier in the season. He previously served as the Orlando Pride’s player development coach after joining the club in March 2025. Sutter holds a UEFA A coaching license.
A former Orlando City SC defender, Sutter had a 16-year professional playing career across Europe and North America. He made appearances in the UEFA Champions League and represented Switzerland internationally. Sutter will work alongside Bates, Amos and Periman on Thomas’ technical staff.
FSB Take
The Orlando Pride’s announcement addresses assistant coaching and goalkeeper development with three hires. Bates brings recent experience from Angel City FC and previous work with U.S. Soccer, while Amos adds technical leadership and academy experience from the United States and England. Periman provides a coaching background focused on goalkeepers across professional, national-team and college settings.
The three hires join a staff that includes Sutter under interim head coach Thomas. That gives the Pride a technical group with experience in player development, goalkeeper coaching, academy leadership and professional soccer.
Source: Original report