TUKWILA, Wash. — When Seattle Reign defender Lauren "Lu" Barnes announced that last season would be her final as a player, she made sure to tell media that she wanted to remain a part of the franchise. After all, she had been one of the first players head coach Laura Harvey called when the team was formed in 2013 — Seattle is all she had known as a professional.

On Tuesday, Barnes rejoined the team officially, as the Reign announced she had signed on as an interim assistant coach through the 2026 season. The decision came about a week after Reign assistant Lee Nguyen departed to become the head coach of USL Super League side Dallas Trinity at the beginning of July — league approval processes cleared on Tuesday, opening the door for Barnes to join the team.

With Nguyen gone and the Reign needing to fill the position in time for the second half of the season, Barnes, 37, was at the top of Harvey's mind. It helped that Barnes also had already earned her U.S. Soccer Federation B Coaching License in 2022 — a certification specializing in player development typically at levels below the NWSL.

"(Barnes') knowledge that (she's) gained from playing at the level for as long as she has, being coached in this environment for as long as she has, is the reason I think this would be seamless," Harvey said.