Gotham FC Coach Juan Carlos Amorós to Take Parental Leave

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (July 20, 2026) – Gotham FC coach Juan Carlos Amorós will begin a five-week parental leave Monday following the birth of his family’s second child, the club confirmed following the team’s victory over Seattle Reign FC over the weekend.

Lead assistant coach Shaun Harris will serve as acting head coach during Amorós’s absence. Sean Nahas, the former North Carolina Courage coach who has been working with Gotham FC in a consultant capacity, will take on increased responsibilities as the club’s interim director of methodology.

Amorós is expected to return to the club in early September.

“I’m incredibly grateful to everyone at Gotham FC for supporting us unconditionally while we were deciding to take this step,” Amorós said. “This is a personal decision for our family, but I also recognize the visibility that comes with my role. When fathers take parental leave, particularly men in leadership positions, it helps normalize an important principle: Caring for children is a shared responsibility between parents. I need to be there for my family.”

“We are proud to be a club that recognizes that creating an equitable environment requires supporting all parents,” said Yael Averbuch West, the president of soccer operations for Gotham FC. “We appreciate that Juan is using his platform to reinforce that message. We have great confidence in Shaun and our entire technical staff to continue leading the team during this period, and we look forward to welcoming Juan back in September.”

Harris has served as acting head coach for three matches this season, leading the team to wins at Chicago and Seattle. The long-time assistant coach has been with Gotham FC for three years and coached for more than 15, including shared time with Amorós at Tottenham Hotspur Women.

Nahas will support Harris and the technical staff in his role as director of methodology, helping maintain continuity across the club’s sporting operations and playing philosophy. In his time as head coach in North Carolina, Nahas led the Courage to two NWSL playoff appearances and the 2023 NWSL Challenge Cup.