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San Diego Wave FC have a coach, a player and now an assistant coach, as the club announced this week they have hired Richard Gunney ahead of their expansion 2022 NWSL season.
I am delighted to announce the addition of Rich to the San Diego Wave FC technical team,” said Wave FC head coach Casey Stoney in a club statement. “He is a proven winner within the NWSL and will add vast knowledge and experience of not only the league but of the college landscape as well. I am very excited to be working with him as we build the future of this team.”
Gunney is a Welsh coach, most recently serving as an assistant coach to Mark Parsons at the Portland Thorns the past five seasons. While in Portland, they won an NWSL Championship, an NWSL Shield and an NWSL Challenge Cup title. Before that, he worked in futsal in his native Wales, and for English club Fulham in the girls academy.
“I am delighted to accept this new challenge with San Diego in what will be an exciting inaugural season,” said Gunney. “I’m extremely grateful to Jill [Ellis] and Wave FC ownership for this intriguing new opportunity which I’m confident my experience and expertise in the NWSL will serve me particularly well, to support Casey, the staff and all the players as we embark on this exciting new journey together.”
San Diego announced their first player signing earlier this week, in U.S. Women’s National Team defender Abby Dahlkemper, and they’ll be adding the bulk of their roster for 2022 next month, through the expansion draft and college draft.
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