Skip to main content

SCOREBOARD

Reports: Former San Diego coach Stoney to take over Canadian women's soccer team

Casey Stoney Casey Stoney - The Canadian Press
Published
Updated

Canada Soccer has settled on former San Diego Wave coach Casey Stoney as the new coach of its women's team, according to multiple reports.

The sixth-ranked Canadian women have been without a permanent coach since Bev Priestman was sent home during the Paris Olympics due to the drone-spying scandal.

Priestman, assistant coach Jasmine Mander and analyst Joey Lombardi are all serving a one-year FIFA ban for their role in the scandal and are no longer with Canada Soccer.

Asked about the Stoney-to-Canada reports on both sides of the Atlantic, a Canada Soccer spokesman said: "The search is ongoing and is confidential, and we are not commenting on the accuracy of any rumours. When there is news to report, you will hear it directly from us.”

The 42-year-old Stoney was San Diego's inaugural coach. She joined the NWSL expansion team in 2021 and was named the league's coach of the year in 2022.

Going into the 2024 season, she was the league's longest-tenured coach but was let go in late June with the Wave mired in a seven-game losing streak.

She led the Wave to their first two trophies, the 2023 NWSL Shield and the 2024 Challenge Cup, and left the club with a 24-15-18 regular-season record.

Stoney joined San Diego from Manchester United where she was the first-ever head coach of the United women's team, helping the side win the Championship title and gain promotion to the top-tier Women's Super League in its inaugural 2018 season.

A defender, Stoner won 130 caps for England and captained the side. She played her club football for Charlton, Chelsea, Lincoln and Liverpool.

Assistant coach Andy Spence coached Canada for the remainder of the Olympics. Under-20 coach Cindy Tye served as interim coach for the team's recent outings against Iceland and South Korea.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 10, 2025.