Wave sack coach Casey Stoney in midst of lackluster season

The San Diego Wave dismissed coach Casey Stoney on Monday as the club endures a shaky season.

Stoney, 42, was NWSL Coach of the Year in 2022, guided San Diego to the league's best regular-season record last year and signed a contract extension through the 2027 season in January.

But the Wave are tied for ninth place with a 3-5-6 record this season and are 0-2-5 in their past seven matches.

San Diego president Jill Ellis said the club's performance isn't up to par.

"We are immensely grateful to Casey for her commitment to our club and the positive impact she has had both on and off the pitch," Ellis said in a news release. "Over the past seasons, Casey has guided us to significant milestones, and her contributions have been instrumental in laying a strong foundation on which to build.

"The decision to part ways was very hard and not made in haste, but given the ambition of this club, and where we are in our season, we felt a change was necessary at this time."

Paul Buckle, 53, will serve as interim coach while the Wave conduct a global search. He was an interim assistant coach with the Wave in 2022.

The removal of Stoney comes 12 days after San Diego named Cami Ashton as general manager. Ashton served in a similar role with the Kansas City Current before resigning in late May.

Stoney had a 24-15-19 record in 2 1/2 seasons with the Wave.

San Diego has just 12 goals in 14 matches this season with the decline in the performance of star Alex Morgan being part of the problem.

Morgan, 34, missed time with an ankle injury and hasn't scored a goal in eight matches. She had 16 goals in 2022 and seven in 2023.

--Field Level Media