Heather Dyche, head women’s soccer coach for the University of New Mexico (UNM), announced on an ESPN Radio 101.7 "The Team" podcast that she will resign to lead the U.S. Under-23 Women’s National Team. She described the opportunity as an honor and emphasized a focus on development.
"it's a huge honor and I feel very privileged," said Dyche. "If it was easy to leave, then I was in the wrong job. It's been a crazy, crazy 48 hours, pretty bittersweet, but also really exciting and it's just a lot of emotion."
After 11 seasons guiding the Lobos, Dyche is stepping down to become head coach of the U.S. Under-23 Women’s National Team. According to the university's announcement on November 4, 2025, her transition highlights her impact on program culture, competitive success, and academics. The university confirmed that a national search for her successor is underway. This move places Dyche within U.S. Soccer’s youth-to-senior pathway at a critical time for player development.
Heather Dyche, Head Women’s Soccer Coach at the University of New Mexico
| Go Lobos
Dyche leaves UNM with 106 career victories, which is the second-most in program history, along with program records for winning percentage (.600), conference wins (63), and postseason winning percentage (.528). Under her leadership, New Mexico earned four Mountain West regular-season titles, one tournament championship, six 10-win seasons, and two NCAA Tournament appearances, including reaching the Second Round in 2020. The program also achieved elite academic marks, including the NCAA’s top GPA in 2023.
An Albuquerque native and Eldorado High School alumna, Dyche has deep roots in New Mexico. Before joining UNM, she coached multiple state and regional champion club teams, co-founded LEAD Academy for girls’ soccer leadership, and served as a technical advisor for New Mexico United. Internationally, she is noted as the only American woman on FIFA’s Women’s Development Team as a Technical Expert.
Editor's note: This article includes excerpts from an interview conducted on "TEAM Talk" with Joe O'Neill, Adam Diehl, and Andres Chavez."TEAM Talk" airs Monday through Friday between 4 p.m.-7 p.m. on ESPN Radio 101.7 TheTEAM. Listen live at https://www.1017theteam.com/ or via the app available on iPhone and Android devices.
