After leading the best defense in the country in the club’s inaugural season, head coach Malia Arrant will return to Salmon Bay FC for the 2026 season.
Coach Arrant is continuing to expand upon her Seattle soccer story, as she returns for a second season in charge of Salmon Bay FC. Arrant brought over 25 years of local soccer experience to the club as a player, coach, and club director when she was hired ahead of the team’s debut season in 2025.
She currently serves as the CEO for PacNW, working with and coaching some of the top talent all across the greater Seattle area. Over her career, Arrant has developed dozens of players who have gone on to play at top collegiate programs and sign professional contracts. That player pipeline has now come full circle, with several of her PacNW alumni joining her at Salmon Bay FC this past season.
Two players from the 2025 Salmon Bay FC squad, Elena Milam and Hallie Bergford, signed professional contracts after the summer season, both crossing the Atlantic Ocean to ply their trade in Europe.
“Malia is a great ambassador for Seattle soccer, and did a fantastic job in our inaugural season, helping to inspire both the players as well as young girls aspiring to pursue soccer at this level” said Tiffany Mallick, Vice President of Salmon Bay FC. “We are incredibly excited to have her back for the 2026 season and feel confident that she’s the right person to propel us forward into even more success.”
After a great first season, Arrant will be looking to win the club’s first Northwest Division Title and lead the team into the postseason for the first time. Last season, Salmon Bay FC fell just short as they missed out on the division crown and playoffs by just one point with only one Northwest Division club, FC Olympia, receiving a spot in the postseason.
Arrant’s record across all competitions for Salmon Bay FC is 7-1-3 (W-L-D) with 25 goals scored and only two goals allowed. She will look to build upon this stellar defensive record as the club looks to have the best defense in all of USL W for the second year in a row.
If this news got you excited to see Malia Arrant and the Salmon Bay squad back in action next spring, you can get season tickets on October 22nd. 2025 Season ticket holders can redeem their season tickets now by checking their inbox for instructions.
Written by Max Dresbach
