Canada Soccer has named former San Diego Wave coach Casey Stoney as the new coach of its women’s national team, according to multiple reports.
The sixth-ranked Canadian women have been without a permanent coach since Bev Priestman returned home during the Paris Olympics due to the drone surveillance scandal.
Priestman, assistant coach Jasmine Mander and analyst Joey Lombardi were all banned by FIFA for one year for their roles in the scandal and are no longer part of Canada Soccer.
In response to the Stoney-Canada report from both sides of the Atlantic, a Canada Soccer spokesperson said: “The search is ongoing and confidential and we do not comment on the accuracy of rumors. If you have news to report, you will hear from us directly.”
Stoney, 42, was San Diego’s first coach. She joined the NWSL expansion team in 2021 and was named the league’s Coach of the Year in 2022.
Entering the 2024 season, she was the league’s longest-tenured coach, but was fired in late June after the Waves went on a seven-game losing streak.
She led the Wave to their first two trophies, the 2023 NWSL Shield and 2024 Challenge Cup, and left the club with a 24-15-18 regular season record.
Stoney joined San Diego from Manchester United to become the first manager of United Women’s team, helping the team win the Championship title and gain promotion to the top-tier Women’s Super League in its inaugural season in 2018.
A defender, Stoner won 130 caps for England and served as team captain. She played 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 recently served as interim coach for the team against Iceland and South Korea.
