SAN DIEGO (June 24, 2024) – San Diego Wave FC today announced that the club has parted ways with head coach Casey Stoney. Paul Buckle will serve as interim head coach.
“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 San Diego Wave FC President Jill 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.”
After joining Wave FC in July 2021 as the club’s first head coach, Stoney entered 2024 as the longest-tenured coach in the league. Stoney led San Diego to its first two trophies, the 2023 NWSL Shield and the 2024 Challenge Cup, while amassing a 24-15-18 regular season record as a head coach.
Stoney joined San Diego from Manchester United where she served as the first-ever head coach of Manchester Women in 2018.
Buckle was a member of the coaching staff for Wave FC in 2022 as an interim assistant coach, when he helped the club to a 10-6-6 record as the Wave became the first-ever NWSL expansion team to reach the playoffs. Buckle was the former Head Coach and Technical Director of Sacramento Republic FC for three seasons (2015-17), when he led the club to playoffs each year, including winning the Western Conference in 2016. He holds a UEFA Pro Coaching License and U.S. Pro Coaching License.
A global search for the new permanent head coach will commence immediately.
