SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – American soccer legend Landon Donovan will take over head coaching duties for the San Diego Wave FC women’s soccer team for the remainder of the season, according to the club.
Donovan will serve as the head coach on an interim basis, the club said in a statement. Now-former interim head coach Paul Buckle “transitions his coaching duties to return to his personal commitments,” club officials stated.
Wave FC Sporting Director and General Manager Camille Ashton said, “First off, we want to thank Paul for his professionalism and honoring his commitment to see us through this summer window. We are thrilled to have Landon join the club and lead the team for the remainder of the season, including the first-ever Concacaf W Champions Cup. Landon’s level of knowledge, understanding, and experience as both a player and a coach, provides us with a leader that can help guide this club to where we want to be – in a playoff position and competing for a Championship. His passion for this city and growing the game, along with having a player-first mentality, make him a natural fit for this club.”
The 42-year-old Donovan is recognized as one of the most important players in the history of U.S. soccer, having been a major part of the Men’s National Team throughout the 2000s and in the early 2010s, as well as a member of three World Cup teams.
Donovan also played for six professional clubs across three leagues during his illustrious career.
In May 2023, Donovan was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame.
Donovan was most recently a front office executive for the San Diego Loyal of the men’s United Soccer League (USL). He managed the team on the field for its first three seasons (2020-22) before he was named Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations.
The Loyal ended its operations in October 2023.
The Wave parted ways with head coach Casey Stoney in late June and replaced her with Buckle. Stoney was the club’s first head coach and had been the longest-tenured coach in the NWSL until her departure.
As of Aug. 18, Wave FC sits in 10th place in the NWSL standings with a 3-7-6 record.
