Former Orlando Pride general manager Erik Ustruck is leading the Houston Dash's player transactions in a consultant role as the National Women's Soccer League team enters the free-agency period without a full-time general manager, multiple sources told ESPN.
Houston has been operating without a GM since firing Alex Singer from the role in late July.
The Dash have also been without a head coach for over two months, with Fran Alonso absent from the team since late June due to what the club initially called an "illness" and has since described as a leave of absence.
Ustruck began working in a remote consulting role for the Dash earlier this month during the NWSL's secondary transfer window, sources familiar with the situation told ESPN.
A team spokesperson confirmed Ustruck's role as a consultant to ESPN when contacted on Friday, adding that Ustruck is officially the "interim general manager."
Ustruck assisted with this week's long-term re-signing of center-back Paige Nielsen, who arrived in Houston earlier this year via trade with Angel City FC but was set to enter free agency when the window opens on Sunday.
She is now signed with Houston through the 2028 season. Houston is currently in 13th place in the 14-team NWSL with nine matches to play.
Singer's firing occurred during the league's six-week break from the regular season for the 2024 Olympics, during which the NWSL co-staged a tournament with Mexico's Liga MX Femenil.
Houston Dash president Jessica O'Neill previously told ESPN that "October at the latest would be the goal" for a timeline to hire a new general manager.
"It was a soccer decision," O'Neill told ESPN about Singer's firing. "Ultimately, the results don't match the resources and the expectations. So, it's difficult to make these types of decisions, as you can imagine. But we want to see different results, and this is part of setting us up to do that.
"[In] two years, we've made a lot of progress. We're proud of that, and Alex led us through a lot of that. But ultimately, we aren't where we want to be on the field. We believe the change is necessary to put us in a better position to get there."
The Dash have only made the playoffs once in 10 years in the NWSL. Singer was hired as GM in August 2022, two months before that lone postseason appearance.
Since then, the Dash have had six different coaches in charge, including current acting head coach Ricky Clarke, an assistant who has overseen the Dash in Alonso's absence.
O'Neill said the Dash underwent "a thorough review" before firing Singer. O'Neill said the timing of Singer's firing was not related to Alonso's leave of absence, adding that she could not add any further detail about Alonso's status.
Pablo Piñones-Arce was hired as the team's first technical director in March. He, Clarke and O'Neill initially oversaw day-to-day roster management following Singer's ousting.
Ustruck was the general manager of the Orlando Pride from 2019-2020, while also serving as director of soccer operations for MLS' Orlando City SC, which shares ownership.
Ustruck played for Orlando City from 2011-2013. He also served in a consulting role for Orlando during the 2022-23 offseason prior to the Pride's hiring of Haley Carter as general manager and vice president of soccer operations.
Houston led all NWSL teams with 12 players on the initial list of impending free agents that the league released earlier this week. (Nielsen was one of the players and has since been signed.)
Houston also re-signed United States international goalkeeper Jane Campbell to a long-term contract earlier this year.
The Dash dealt with a major player exit earlier in the spring when winger and Mexico international María Sánchez demanded a trade only months after signing what was, at the time, the most lucrative contract in the NWSL as a restricted free agent.
Sánchez was traded to the San Diego Wave on deadline day. O'Neill said she felt that was an "isolated" incident.
"Our reputation is really important to me, because ultimately, perception is reality," O'Neill said. "So, we are actively trying to make sure that people understand that. There's so much potential with the Houston Dash organization. There's also been significant investment in progress since I arrived here, and ultimately since Ted [Segal] became the majority owner of the team [in June 2021] just about six months before I arrived."
Houston returns to the field on Saturday at home against the last-place Utah Royals.
Houston is currently five points out of playoff position.