Casey Stoney, a former England captain who went on to win NWSL coach of the year honours, has been named coach of the Canadian women's soccer team.
The sixth-ranked Canadian women have been without a permanent coach since Bev Priestman was sent home during the Paris Olympics last summer due to the drone-spying scandal.
The 42-year-old Stoney most recently was coach of the San Diego Wave, joining the NWSL expansion team in 2021 and was named the league's coach of the year in 2022 but was let go last June with the Wave mired in a seven-game losing streak.
"Casey’s track record of successful leadership, her values and strength of character, and her lifelong dedication to the advancement of women’s football make her the right person to lead our national team into its next chapter," Kevin Blue, Canada Soccer's CEO and general secretary, said in a statement.
Canada Soccer says Stoney will start with the Canada women in February at the Pinatar Cup, a three-match series in Spain.
“Canada has a proud tradition in women’s football, and I am excited to work with such a talented group of players," Stoney said in a statement. "Together with the federation’s new leadership, we will strive to build on past successes and continue to grow the sport in Canada on and off the field.
"I look forward to the journey ahead and to engaging with the incredible passion of Canadian soccer fans.”
Stoney has signed a three-year contract with Canada Soccer that runs through the next World Cup, with an option for 2028.
As it did in hiring men's coach Jesse Marsch, Canada Soccer says it received help in landing Stoney.
Canada Soccer said Stoney’s appointment: is supported by philanthropic contributions to Canada Soccer, and she is the first beneficiary of a new fund established specifically to support women in elite coaching."
A defender, Stoney won 130 caps for England and captained Great Britain at the London 2012 Olympics.
She represented England at three FIFA Women’s World Cups — winning bronze at the 2015 tournament after coming on in the 93rd minute as England defeated host Canada 2-1 in the quarterfinal before 54,027 at B.C. Place Stadium.
During that tournament, she was honoured with an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) for her services to football.
She also went to three UEFA Women’s European Championships.
Stoney retired in 2018, after stints with Arsenal, Charlton, Chelsea, Lincoln and Liverpool — and being twice named in the Professional Football Association (PFA)’s Women’s Team of the Year — to join then-England women's coach Phil Neville's coaching staff.
Stoney got involved in coaching at Chelsea in 2009 while still an active player, serving in the role of player-manager.
Stoney left the England setup to become the inaugural head coach of Manchester United women. Stoney led Manchester United to the second-tier FA Championship title in its 2018 debut season, earning promotion to the Women’s Super League.
Stoney also completed her UEFA Pro Licence while at Manchester United.
In North America, she led the Wave to its first two trophies — the 2023 NWSL Shield and the 2024 Challenge Cup — and left the club with a 24-15-18 regular-season record.
Assistant coach Andy Spence coached Canada for the remainder of the Olympics after Priestman's departure. Under-20 coach Cindy Tye served as interim coach for the team's most recent outings against Iceland and South Korea.
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.
Canada Soccer says several women's team alumni, including Stephanie Labbé, Diana Matheson, Erin McLeod and Melissa Tancredi. "played a critical advisory role in the hiring process," along with Canada Soccer president Peter Augruso and Sara McConaghy, leader of Canada Soccer’s Women’s Football Working Group.
The search was co-ordinated by Angus McNab, who also was involved in the hiring of Marsch. McNab, a former York United president, recently joined the NWSL Portland Thorns as a strategic adviser.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 13, 2025
Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
