Preparations for the 2025 NWSL campaign continue to heat up. All 14 NWSL teams are making the most of their pre-season preparations as the campaign kicks off next week on March 14. Though it would be safe to say that Angel City FC is also doing the best it can, we still worry about them, especially after hearing about their coaching situation from the club’s sporting director, Mark Parsons.

To have a fresh recap of last season, ACFC fired their head coach, Becki Tweed, back in December. A poor end to their 2024 campaign forced the California-based club to make this decision. Forget the playoffs; with 7 wins, 6 draws, and 13 losses, they had finished their year in 12th place with a tally of just 24 points. Since then, Angel City has named Sam Liatey as the interim boss.

Though it doesn’t seem much of a problem to have him, fans expect some clarity on the coaching situation at least before the season kicks off. However, this is exactly where things get interesting. According to sporting director Mark Parsons, the club won’t be getting a full-time head coach at least until June. “Sam [Laity] is our interim head coach, and we believe he will be our interim head coach until June. That’s the current reality of our head coach process,” said Parsons, as compiled by journalist Jeff Kassouf on X.

Additionally, while further addressing the media on Thursday and as compiled by the Goal, he added, “Our head coach process is getting to a point where it is getting clearer, but it’s still not clear when the head coach could be joining us at Angel City.”

While many would say it turns out to be a huge blow for the ACFC, that’s truly not the case. Ardent fans should know that until the new managerial hunt continues, the team is in safe hands. We aren’t the ones saying it, but rather Laity’s wealthy experience does. From 2013 to 2022, he served as an assistant coach for the Seattle Reign under multiple head coaches before stepping into the head coach role for the Houston Dash in 2023.

With over 200 NWSL regular season and playoff games under his belt, Laity also took charge as interim head coach in 2021, leading the team to an impressive 4-2-0 (W-L-D) record in six matches. Given his resume, he must make the most of this opportunity at ACFC. Even Mark Parsons believe Laity is praiseworthy.

During the same media talk, the sporting director said, “He’s doing a tremendous job. We’re very happy and grateful for the way that he has conducted himself and continues to lead our group.” So who knows, if Sam can build something solid, he might just extend his stay—whether as a long-term interim or even earning the permanent role with a strong enough impression. Then again, a deeper understanding of why there is a delay in the managerial hunt will surely clear the air better.

Angel City’s hunt continues with preps for the NWSL season underway!

Earlier, Mark Parsons had already stated clearly that Angel City is in no rush to finalize a coaching hire. So it is safe to say that they are not casually browsing potential hires per se, but keeping tabs on the ones they believe might be a good fit. “The availability of the candidates that are left in the process are all available in June, and in the next few weeks, I hope to be able to give a more concrete update,” said Parsons in the recent media press.

So in the meantime, expect Sam Laity on the sidelines. He’ll be working alongside assistant coach Eleri Earnshaw, interim goalkeeper coach Ludovic “Ludo” Antunes, technical assistant Mykell Bates, and performance analyst Oliver Blitz. The entire staff is already in sync with the 21 active players, training at Angel City’s newly unveiled performance center in Thousand Oaks, CA.

Spanning 9 acres, the facility is the largest in the NWSL, repurposed from a space previously used by the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams rather than being built from scratch. Adding to the excitement, veterans Christen Press and Sydney Leroux have signed contract extensions, along with forward Claire Emslie and defender M.A. Vignola. With all these developments, Angel City fans have plenty to look forward to as the team gears up for its 2025 NWSL opener against the San Diego Wave on March 16.