Freya Coombe

Freya Coombe is an English football manager and former player who currently manages Angel City FC of the American National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).[1]

Freya Coombe
Team information
Current team
 Angel City FC (head coach)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Reading
Managerial career
2013–2014 Reading Reserves
2019–2021 NJ/NY Gotham FC[lower-alpha 1]
2022– Angel City FC
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Early life

Coombe grew up in Buckinghamshire, England.[2] Alongside her early part-time football managing career, Coombe was also a full-time lecturer of sports sciences at Buckinghamshire New University.[3]

Club career

Coombe played for Reading for five years.[4]

Managerial career

Coombe coached in various roles at Reading over a seven-year period, including managing the club's reserve team.[4] Coombe's players at Reading included a young Fran Kirby.[3]

Coombe then moved to the United States and coached youth soccer in the New York metropolitan area,[5] in part thanks to a reference from former Reading player Mikaela Howell then working at Everton America, a Connecticut-based youth affiliate of Everton F.C.[3]

NJ/NY Gotham FC, 2019–2021

In 2019, Coombe inquired at New Jersey-based Sky Blue FC of the National Women's Soccer League to observe the club as part of her development, and watched the team in July and August 2019. The club's head coach Denise Reddy was fired before Coombe's arrival, and goalkeeping coach Hugo Macedo was named the club's caretaker during Coombe's stint as an observer.[3] On 4 September 2019, Sky Blue FC named Coombe as its interim head coach.[4][3]

The team removed her interim tag in December 2019.[4] The club later renamed to NJ/NY Gotham FC. The club's best result in an NWSL competition during Coombe's tenure was reaching the finals of the 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup, where Gotham FC drew 1–1 against Portland Thorns FC after extra time and lost 5–6 in a penalty shootout.[6]

On 22 August 2021, NWSL expansion team Angel City FC named Coombe its first head coach, to begin play in the 2022 NWSL season.[1] After initially planning on managing Gotham FC for the remainder of the 2021 NWSL season,[7] Gotham FC general manager Yael Averbuch West announced on 24 August 2021 that the team and Coombe agreed that Coombe should resign on 29 August 2021.[8]

Angel City FC, 2022–

Coombe guided Angel City FC in its inaugural season to a 1–4–1 record and last-place West Division group finish in the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup. In the regular season, Angel City remained in contention for the NWSL Playoffs until the season's final round, but finished at eighth place on the table with a record of 8–9–5 and did not qualify.[9]

Managerial statistics
As of 2 October 2022[10][11]
Managerial record by team and tenure, all official competitions
Team From To Record
P W D L GF GA GD Win %
NJ/NY Gotham FC[lower-alpha 1] 4 September 2019 29 August 2021 31 9 9 13 32 37 −5 029.03
Angel City FC 19 March 2022 present 28 9 6 13 29 40 −11 032.14
Career totals 59 18 15 26 61 77 −16 030.51
  1. Sky Blue FC changed its name to NJ/NY Gotham FC in 2021

References
  1. "Angel City names Freya Coombe as new coach". Los Angeles Times. 22 August 2021.
  2. Lauletta, Dan (23 December 2019). "'It's hard not to be energized': Meet new Sky Blue head coach Freya Coombe". The Equalizer. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  3. Theivam, Kieran (10 April 2020). "'I sometimes ask myself how I got here' — Freya Coombe, from Reading to NWSL". The Athletic. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  4. "Sky Blue FC names Freya Coombe head coach for 2020" (Press release). Sky Blue FC. 17 December 2019. Archived from the original on 26 December 2019. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  5. "Freya Coombe appointed as Sky Blue – NYSC Girls Director of Scouting and U19 Girls Development Academy Coach". New York Soccer Club. 14 June 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  6. "Thorns beat Gotham FC on penalties to win Challenge Cup". Reuters. 8 May 2021. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  7. Linehan, Meg (22 August 2021). "Angel City FC hires Gotham FC's Freya Coombe as first head coach". The Athletic. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  8. "Gotham FC coach Freya Coombe to leave team Sunday after taking Angel City job". The Athletic. 24 August 2021. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  9. Rodriguez, Alicia (12 October 2022). "Looking back on Freya Coombe's 2022 season with Angel City FC". Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  10. "NJ/NY Gotham FC Stats and History". FBRef. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  11. "Angel City FC Stats and History". FBRef. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
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