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Mike Friday calls it quits and exits USA 7s after a 10-year stint
By Liam Heagney
Mike Friday has announced he is leaving USA Rugby after a decade-long stint in charge of the men’s sevens team. It was 2014 when the former England sevens player took charge across the Atlantic, but the 52-year-old is now finishing up following his team’s eighth-place finish at the Olympic Games in Paris.
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A statement published on goffrugbyreport.com read: “Following 10 years as the USA men’s sevens head coach, Mike Friday today announced he will step away from the program. Paris marked the third qualified Olympic games under Friday, who first took over the men’s program in the summer of 2014, lifting the USA ranking on the HSBC SVNS Series to new heights through his tenure.
“Friday internally informed the players and staff at the start of the 2024 season that this year would be his last, with plans to depart after the Paris Olympics. Mike will look ahead to new ventures and time spent with family after leading the USA team and program for over a decade.”
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Friday said: “All good things must come to an end. After 10 years, 85 World Series tournaments, three Olympic games and two Rugby World Cup Sevens, it’s time to step away and be closer to my family and loved ones.
“A measured decision and shared with the team six months ago. I arrived in the summer of 2014 to a program that was all but done and given less than 10 per cent chance of Olympic qualification for Rio 2016 – my kind of odds! The journey has been a rollercoaster of ups and downs that I’m immensely proud to have been a part of.”
USA Rugby CEO Bill Goren added: “The impact Mike has had on the sport of rugby, both in the USA and beyond, is indelible. He has been instrumental in the growth of rugby sevens through the new Olympic era. On behalf of the organisation, I want to thank Mike for his dedication to the game, the players and community. We wish him the very best in his next chapter.”
