No BS, no bait and switch. Surf had a different view and position that they could support both programs that ultimately in the end wasn't aligned with ECNL. They hired Brian Reed as Director of ECNL at the beginning of the year, don't think you would throw good money to hire a coach away from the LA Galaxy MLS team if you thought you were losing ECNL.
From Rob Becerra and Brian Reed's article with GoalNation:
"ECNL has created a genuine platform of excellence, and showcasing all its benefits and plus reminding players of the social side where they can still play soccer in high school — the ECNL pathway can make more sense for many top “Amazing Young Women” who are looking to go to college. Typically, clubs with both DA and ECNL, might take their best coaches and assign them to the DA teams. At Surf, we are continuing to invest in our ECNL program. We’ve brought in Brian as dedicated resource, and we will continue to build our ECNL program into one of the best programs in the US. For many ECNL is the right choice. We never want ECNL players and their families to feel like they are second. They are first, but just in a different arena."
Interested to know what requirement from ECNL Surf didn't meet and Blues did?