[4] Dames was the director of coaching and player development for Chicago Eclipse Select, which consisted of three teams when the Illinois native took over.

[6] The club produced players who have earned Division I scholarships, professional contracts and roster spots on all levels of the U.S. women's national teams.

[7] Dames began coaching the Chicago Red Stars in 2011, reaching the WPSL finals and losing in overtime.

[8] For four consecutive years, 2015 to 2018, Dames coached the Red Stars to National Women's Soccer League postseason playoffs, losing in the semi-finals on each occasion.

[9][10][11][12] In 2019, Dames and the Red Stars defeated the Portland Thorns 1–0 to advance to the NWSL Championship for the first time in team history, where they eventually fell to North Carolina Courage 4–0.

“Two had left the team because of Dames’s abuse, they said.”[15] In February 2022, the Washington Post published a follow-up story reporting claims of misconduct dating back to the late 1990s, including a 1998 police report involving a youth player Dames coached at Chicago Eclipse Select.

The organization "did not respond to questions about whether Dames still owned Eclipse or was involved in its governance,” suggesting he is still the owner and the majority controlling interest in the club's operations.