Casey Stoney Named Canadian Women's National Team Head Coach | OneFootball

Taking one of the biggest free-agent managers off the market, Canada Soccer has appointed former San Diego Wave manager Casey Stoney as the new head coach of the Canadian women’s national team (CANWNT).

Stoney's contract will run through the 2027 World Cup in Brazil, with an option year for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

“We are thrilled to welcome Casey Stoney as Head Coach of the Women’s National Team. 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," said Kevin Blue, CEO and general secretary of Canada Soccer.

The hire comes two months after former Canada head coach Bev Priestman was officially dismissed by the federation following a drone-spying scandal that erupted during the 2024 Olympics. Priestman and two assistants were sent home from Paris and subsequently suspended by FIFA for one year for their role in recording opposing teams' training sessions.

Priestman raised the standards of the program by winning gold with Canada at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics but then put in a disappointing performance by exiting at the group stage of the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

At the Paris Olympics, Canada was eliminated in the quarterfinals in a 4–2 penalty-shootout defeat to Germany. Assistant coach Andy Spence oversaw that tournament in Priestman's absence.

As part of Canada's hiring committee, several alumnae of the CANWNT played a critical advisory role in the hiring of Stoney. Those players included: Stephanie Labbé, Diana Matheson, Erin McLeod and Melissa Tancredi.

Stoney's arrival follows a successful two-and-a-half-year stint with the San Diego Wave in the National Women's Soccer League. With the 2022 NWSL expansion club, she qualified for the playoffs twice (2022 and '23), and claimed the NWSL Shield in '23 by topping the standings.

In '24, Stoney and the Wave started the season NWSL strong by winning the Challenge Cup. However, after a poor run of results in the middle of the season (seven matches without a win), the club hierarchy decided to fire Stoney and go in another direction.

Before San Diego, Stoney was the first coach of Manchester United women from '18 to '21. She won the English Women's Championship and guided the Red Devils to promotion in her first season, and then recorded two consecutive fourth-place finishes in the Women's Super League.

Also an accomplished player in her time, Stoney made 130 caps for England and represented the Lionesses at three FIFA Women’s World Cups and three European championships. She also captained Great Britain at the London 2012 Olympics. At the club level, she won the top English women's league twice and the FA Cup four times.

“I am honored to join Canada Soccer as the Head Coach of the Women’s National Team," Stoney said on Monday. "Canada has a proud tradition in women’s football, and I am excited to work with such a talented group of players. 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 joins Canada without a major tournament on the horizon. With over two years until the 2027 World Cup, she has plenty of time to develop Canada into the team she wants it to be. Her first matches will be a three-match friendly series in February at the Pinatar Cup in Spain.

Since Priestman's departure, Canada had been operating under assistant coach Spence. Despite a '24 embroiled in scandal, the team finished an impressive year undefeated in 90-minute matches with a record of 11-0-7, with its only loss coming on penalties in the Olympics.