No, the white smoke filling the skies around Los Angeles isn’t smog for once. It is the metaphorical smoke to signal Angel City FC have officially found their permanent head coach. After coming into the new season with one of the biggest question marks a sports team can have, that question is answered and after some context clues led us to the presumption the new hire would come from Europe, that too has been confirmed. Yesterday the club announced they have named Alexander Straus, currently manager of FC Bayern Women’s side, as their new permanent head coach.
Welcome to LA, Alexander Straus!
The two-time Bundesliga champ and current Bayern Munich Women’s head coach is officially joining Angel City as our new head coach starting June 1.
Learn more: https://t.co/Dx7YhUsvcI pic.twitter.com/S7IZbeNbdS— Angel City FC (@weareangelcity) April 17, 2025
“When we set out to hire our head coach, we looked for specific characteristics such as a dominant style of play, a proven winner at the highest level, a focus on player development, a collaborative mindset, and a leader in high performance. Alex fits this profile at every measure” said Angel City FC Sporting Director Mark Parsons in a statement. “He has consistently demonstrated an ability to unite teams under a shared purpose, inspire players to grow and perform at their peak, and deliver results consistently. I’m truly confident Alex’s experience, commitment to team culture, and tactical intelligence will strengthen our foundation as we aim to bring championships to Los Angeles.”
Angel City FC CEO and Co-Founder Julie Uhrman added, “Our search for a head coach was comprehensive and intentional, ensuring we considered a diverse pool of exceptional candidates. Alex stood out for his winning track record, commitment to player development, and alignment with our club’s values. We are thrilled to welcome him to Angel City and are confident in his ability to lead our team into a championship-winning era.”
Who is Alexander Straus
Now, let’s get to the bit many of you are really here for. Presumably, not many know who Alexander Straus is, unless you’ve been following the Frauen-Bundesliga the last few years. While he may not be a household name on this side of the globe, it likely wont take long before he is. Straus arrived at FC Bayern in 2022, with one goal in mind, turn the club around. From 2015 – his arrival, FC Bayern won the league just twice, while Wolfsburg enjoyed life as the best club in Germany. Then, Bayern realized who they were and decided they wanted their women’s side to also be a premier club, similar to the men’s side. While we are sure there are some criticisms to his tenure like not being able to secure Champions League trophies, for the most part, Straus turned out to be just what Bayern needed. With just a couple of matches left in the season, Straus has locked up the third straight Frauen-Bundesliga title for FC Bayern, as well as helped lead the team to a 2024 DFB-Supercup Frauen, trophy win.
That’s one very important checkmark for Los Angeles sports fans. A proven winner, coming in with multiple championships and the history of taking a team from struggling, to powerhouses. That said, to be completely fair, it is FC Bayern who is a club with endless wealth and unlimited resources that go a long way in helping a resurgence like this. But also, LA is now owned and backed by Disney, so, what we are saying is, give him the money to buy the groceries and let the man cook. Speaking of cooking, the other big checkmark he crosses is his philosophy on youth development. He is very much a coach that believes heavily in youth talent, not just developing that talent for the immediate, but taking the time to nurture that talent into the the exact veteran his club will need down the line. As he puts it, it is a “long-term development” style when it comes to younger players, ensuring they reach levels not only to succeed as an all-around player, but learning and perfecting the skills needed to succeed in his system. Players like phenom Alyssa Thompson, rookie standout Riley Tiernan, and even younger players like Kennedy Fuller and Casey Phair will undoubtedly thrive under Straus.
We have already seen in the early stages of this season, what Angel City look like when the kids are allowed to cook, and now the club went out and hired Gordon Ramsay to come in and help hone their talents and fine-tune their abilities, though hopefully with 95% less expletives and insults. WAIT, we can already hear the anxious heavy breathing and knives sharpening over the future of players like Christen Press, Sarah Gorden, and Sydney Leroux, but that’s where Straus really becomes the perfect hire for this club. If you’ve followed FC Bayern at all this year, you will have noticed how well he balances the youth uprising, with the veteran presence. Look no further than former Chelsea star, Pernille Harder, who upon arrival in 2023 was said to be washed. Truly, many thought her best days were behind her and this was just a victory tour of sorts. Straus apparently had other ideas. In her 34 appearances for Bayern, Harder has scored 21 goals. That is just three goals fewer, in a dozen less matches, than her time with Chelsea. Now, the North London outfit also had a handful of other talents to share the ball with, but still, it shows Harder had plenty left in the tank, and Straus was able to get it out of her. That bodes incredibly well for the veterans who, by all accounts, are already doing their part to help lead and nurture the next generation.
Again, we admit that Alexander Straus is a name many heard and couldn’t pick out of a lineup, but he is far more than just the FC Bayern coach. That alone might be enough for some to say he’s a good choice, but those who’ve watched Bayern grow under him the last few years, will tell you its all the other things that make him the perfect hire for this job. Pressure, he’s lived through that. Expectations, he sets those. Youth development, he runs that. Getting the most out of veterans, ez win for a guy like him. All Angel City FC have to do is give him the time, resources, and freedom Bayern did, and we could be looking at the perennial contenders in the NWSL for however long he decides to stay in Los Angeles.
Thoughts on Alexander Straus as the new Angel City FC Head Coach? Leave a comment below!