Jim Gabarra was named Head Coach of the Washington Freedom in August 2000, guiding the team to a WUSA championship in 2003 and a W-League North American championship in 2007.

Before joining the Freedom, Gabarra served as Head Coach of the World All-Stars in 1999 and 2000 on the Toys "R" Us United States National Team Indoor Victory Tour, as Head Coach of the Washington Warthogs of the CISL from 1994-1998 and stints as player-coach for the Milwaukee Wave of the NPSL from 1992-1993 and Louisville Thunder of the AISA from 1985-1987.

Gabarra was a member of the U.S. National Team from 1986-1989, earning 14 caps, and played for the U.S. Olympic Team at the Seoul Olympics in 1998. He played indoor and outdoor soccer professionally from 1982-1994 in the ASL, AISA, MISL, CISL and NPSL. He was the U.S. National Indoor Team captain from 1986-1996, and played on the team achieving the highest tournament finish ever by a U.S. Men’s National Team at FIFA’s Indoor World Championships – capturing a Silver medal in 1992 and the Bronze medal in 1989.

Born September 22, 1959, in Key West, Fla., Gabarra currently resides in Annapolis, Md. with his wife Carin and three children. Carin, currently the head coach at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, was a member of the first U.S. Women’s World Cup Championship Team and Cup MVP in 1991 and was a member of the 1996 Gold medal winning Olympic soccer team.

Clyde Watson, Assistant Coach

Clyde Watson was named an assistant coach for the Washington Freedom in February 2001. Prior to his appointment, Watson was the director of coaching at the Team America Soccer Club and GSC Team America Premier program.

A Washington, D.C. local, Watson is a familiar face in Washington’s soccer scene having coached in the area for nearly 20 years. In 1998, Watson was selected as the Virginia Youth Soccer Association (VYSA) Boys Coach of the Year and was the director of coaching for the GSC Team America Premier program. In 2007, Watson led the McLean Freedom U16 girls team to the USYS National Championships and captured the championship crown. Later that year, he was honored as the NSCAA/adidas Youth Coach of the Year.

Watson is a former professional player who has played and coached in over 20 countries. He was a prominent member of the Guyana Men’s National Team for 10 years. He is a graduate of Clemson University, where he was captain of their nationally ranked soccer team and led Clemson to the NCAA finals. He was also the former head coach at the University of the District of Columbia and of a pro team in the Caribbean Football League.

Born in Guyana, Watson currently resides on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

Nicci Wright, Goalkeeper Coach

Nicci Wright was named goalkeeper coach for the Washington Freedom in September 2006. A former player for the Freedom, Wright served as an assistant coach at UMBC in 2007 before joining the Freedom coaching staff full time.

Wright holds an NSCAA National Diploma and currently coaches in both the Freestate Soccer Alliance and Baltimore BAYS club systems.  Wright was an MSYSA Girl's ODP coach for four years, leading her '90 girls team to a Region I Championship. 

As a player, Wright started 38 international games as a goalkeeper for the Canadian National Team from 1996-2003. She recorded 11 shutouts, the third-most in Canadian women’s soccer history, and she is the only Canadian goalkeeper to win a game against the full U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT).

Wright joined the Freedom in 2003 and was a member of the WUSA Founders Cup championship team. From 2003-2006, Wright was one of only three international goalkeepers to play in the WUSA, and one of only 32 international players to play in the league. From 2003-2006 she played in more than 45 league, exhibition and international games for the Freedom, serving as a captain in 2006.

In 2002, Wright played in a Swedish Women's League, elite Damallsvenska, for Alvik IK in Lulea, Sweden, where she was voted Footballer of the Year for Northern Sweden. In 2001, she played for the Vancouver Whitecaps of the USL's W-League, recording five shutouts in nine games and leading the team to the national final. In 2000, Wright competed with the World All-Star Team playing against the USWNT in the Discovery Health Channel Women’s Soccer Tour, playing for Freedom Head Coach Jim Gabarra.