San Diego Wave coach Casey Stoney signed a four-year extension Tuesday to remain with the franchise and the deal includes a mutual option for the 2028 season.
Stoney, 41, has guided the Wave to a 21-10-13 record in two seasons as San Diego coach. She was NWSL Coach of the Year in 2022.
“I am very happy to extend my stay here in San Diego, a place my family and I call home,” Stoney said in a news release. “What we have been able to achieve as a club over the first two seasons is a testament to the investment of our ownership and the hard work of everyone involved. As a club, we have achieved in ways no other expansion team has ever done. We have won the NWSL Shield (in 2022), broken records and have been supported by the most amazing fans.
“This is just the beginning, and I am fully committed to building and developing this team. I am proud to be a part of this club, in this city, and I will continue to give everything I have to bring even more success to this incredible community.”
Stoney was a star defender in England and appeared in three Women’s World Cups (2007, 2011, 2015) and the 2012 Olympics in London. Her playing career lasted 20 seasons from 1999-2018. One of her post-playing gigs was being coach of Manchester United Women.
She has quickly excelled in the NWSL with San Diego president Jill Ellis, the former United States Women’s National Team coach, being highly impressed with the job Stoney has done.
“In two years with the Wave, Casey has established herself as not just one of the top coaches in the league but also on the global stage” Ellis said. “When we brought Casey on board, we were confident that her exceptional leadership qualities, coupled with her extensive experience as both a player and coach at the highest levels, would make her the perfect fit for San Diego, and she has more than exceeded our high expectations.”
The Wave boast some of the top talent in the league in forward Alex Morgan, the NWSL Golden Boot winner with 17 goals in 2022, and Naomi Girma, the 2022 NWSL Rookie of the Year and NWSL Defender of the Year in both 2022 and 2023. Girma was recently named U.S. Soccer’s Female Player of the Year.
–Field Level Media