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.
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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.”
Wave FC announces the club has parted ways with Head Coach Casey Stoney.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Casey and wish her all the best for the future. pic.twitter.com/d3S7LonSut
— San Diego Wave FC (@sandiegowavefc) June 24, 2024
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.
She described herself as “broken” following her departure as she thanked Waves’ supporters group the San Diego Sirens.
Stoney wrote on X: “Thank you Sirens!! You are incredible and I loved your support for the team from day one! Today I’m broken but in time I will be proud of what we all achieved together! Cheer those players loud on Friday because that’s what they deserve.”
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.
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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.
Wave return to action on Friday against Chicago Red Stars.
What’s gone wrong for Stoney in San Diego?
Analysis from Jeff Rueter
When San Diego debuted in the 2022 season, their identity was built around being proactive when attacking in transition and playing soccer that was both effective and easy on the eyes. Opponents acclimated to Stoney’s approach as the 2023 season progressed, but the results showed things were still on track.
San Diego finished third in the regular season table in 2022, then won the NWSL Shield in 2023 thanks in part to a strong finish after the World Cup. A win in the preseason 2024 Challenge Cup only further seemed to suggest that the Wave would be competitive once again.
Instead, the Wave’s opponents doubled-down on the game plan that caused San Diego to struggle midway through 2023. Rather than letting San Diego operate on the counter, they were dared to spend more time on the ball — only one team has a higher rate of possession this season than the Wave’s 53.6%.
More time on the ball left the attack feeling like a languid version of its former high-octane self. They’re only averaging 1.1 direct attacks per game, far beyond the 2.0 per game they managed in 2022. They also averaged fewer shots per game (11.7) than any point in the club’s short history, and had a poorer rate of expected goals per shot (0.1 xG per shot, down from 0.112 in 2022) as well.
Concerningly, a previously staunch defense was suddenly more susceptible to the kinds of direct attacks that the Wave used to enjoy going the other direction. This season, the defense has been league average, a far cry from the previous high standard. As a result, San Diego will hope that a fresh voice on the touchline can wave up an attack that’s lost a lot of verve while getting a talented roster to perform commensurate to the sum of its parts.
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What next for Wave and Stoney?
For now, San Diego will be lead by interim manager Paul Buckle. This will be his first role in women’s soccer, having previous experience coaching in the men’s lower leagues of England and the United States from 2007 through 2017.
His most recent role was with the USL Championship’s Sacramento Republic from 2015 to 2017. One would expect him to be more of a player-manager than a tactician as he tries to get more out of the current squad. San Diego announced their search for Stoney’s successor “will commence immediately.”
Stoney figures to be in high demand in the coming months, whether it’s another NWSL club or a return to the Women’s Super League. Stoney coached Manchester United from 2018 through 2021, leaving the Red Devils to become the Wave’s first coach.
(Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)