San Diego Wave has parted company with head coach Casey Stoney.
The former England defender’s final game in charge was the weekend’s 0-0 draw with Houston Dash which left Wave ninth in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) 14 games into the regular season.
Stoney, 42, departs San Diego after three years in charge, having led the club to the NWSL Challenge Cup in 2024 and NWSL Shield in 2023.
Paul Buckle has been placed in interim charge.
Club president Jill Ellis said the change was “necessary” when taking into consideration the club’s performance this season and their ambition.
“We are immensely grateful to Casey for her commitment to our club and the positive impact she has had both on and off the pitch.” said Ellis. “Over the past seasons, Casey has guided us to significant milestones, and her contributions have been instrumental in laying a strong foundation on which to build.
“The decision to part ways was very hard and not made in haste, but given the ambition of this club, and where we are in our season, we felt a change was necessary at this time.”
Stoney joined Wave in 2021 as the club’s first head coach following her departure from Manchester United and guided the club to its first two major trophies.
Wave has taken 15 points from its opening 14 NWSL matches in 2024, with Stoney registering a 3-6-5 record this season.
Interim head coach Buckle previously worked on the Wave coaching staff during the 2022 season. The 53-year-old Englishman has also had spells in charge of Sacramento Republic, plus Luton Town, Bristol Rovers, Cheltenham Town and Torquay United in his homeland.
A club statement said “a global search for the new permanent head coach will commence immediately”.
The Wave appointed Cami Ashton to the role of sporting director and general manager this month. The former Kansas City Current general manager helped hire former USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski for the 2024 season.
(Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
