Calgary Wild FC hires Leah Blayney as new head coach
The 40-year-old Australian midfielder and former Japan assistant takes over the Northern Super League club after a 0-7-2 start to the season.
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Calgary Wild FC have hired Leah Blayney, a former Australian midfielder with 16 career caps for the Matildas, as the soccer club's new head coach.
Blayney, 40, from Katoomba, Australia, was most recently an assistant coach of the Japanese women's team. As part of that role, she helped Japan secure the AFC Women's Asian Cup title this year, a 2025 SheBelieves Cup championship, and qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup.
The move comes after interim coach Sinead McSharry led the Wild to a 0-7-2 record to start the Northern Super League's second season. Lydia Bedford, who coached the Wild to a 9-14-2 record in the league's inaugural season, departed earlier this year to coach England's under-23 team.
Wild FC's leadership searched widely for a replacement, attracting more than 100 candidates before selecting Blayney. "Leah is a respected and progressive coach in the women's game," Wild chief executive officer Lara Murphy said. "Her experience at the highest levels of international football, her proven ability to develop players, and her commitment to building high-performance environments made her the clear choice."
Blayney will join the club this week before Saturday's home match against defending NSL champion Vancouver Rise. She brings professional NWSL experience from her time with Boston.
