Breakers Part Ways With Head Coach Lisa Cole

Just a day before a crucial NWSL match against the Western New York Flash, the Boston Breakers announced that they have parted ways with head coach Lisa Cole and assistant Maren Rojas.

Breakers and USWNT defender Cat Whitehill will take over as an interim player coach while a the team searches for a permanent coach.

"Lisa was a critical participant in the launch of the National Women's Soccer League and making sure there was a professional women's league in the U.S.," Boson Breakers managing partner Michael Stoller said. "I cannot thank her enough for her years of service to the Breakers and women's professional soccer."

The Breakers play their next three games at home, against the Flash tomorrow at 6PM, followed by a midweek clash on August 7th against the Portland Thorns and ending the homestand on the 10th vs. FC Kansas City.

"At this point, as the team makes a push to the playoffs, this was a change that needed to be made," Breakers General Manager Lee Billiard said. "Lisa has done so much for our organization and the women's professional game in general. It is with great regret this change had to be made."

The Breakers sit in 5th place in the NWSL standings, one spot out of the playoffs. They trail the 4th place Flash by seven points going into tomorrow's match.

Cole, a former collegiate goalkeeper at Pacific Lutheran, took over as head coach for the Breakers in 2012, after spending three years as an assistant under Tony DiCicco. She posted a 17-10-5 record during her two years in charge of the Breakers in both the NWSL and Women's Premier Soccer League. Cole was also a head coach at the University of Rhode Island from 2003-2004 and had was an assistant at several schools including UConn from 2000-2003 and Florida State in 2005-2006.

"Lisa is a highly respected coach and had many great seasons in Boston," Billiard said. "Maren came to the team with a great coaching resume, and we have respect for both coaches."

Rojas joined Boston ahead of the 2013 NWSL season. She previously served as an assistant coach at Boston College for the women’s soccer team.

Check back later as TBM's Boston Breakers beat writer Nick Hemming will have more on this developing story.