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Speaking from the San Diego Wave hotel in Panama City, Landon Donovan spoke to reporters for the first time since being named the team’s interim head coach. The former U.S. men’s national team forward said he has a “steep” learning curve as he coaches professional women’s soccer for the first time, but it’s a challenge he’s excited for.
“Every day I wake up after not sleeping because I’m so excited. My wife says, ‘Why are you out of bed at 3 in the morning?’ I look forward to doing this every day, and the project is phenomenal. There are great resources,” Donovan said. He said Wave ownership has promised to help him achieve what he wants for the team, something any head coach — interim or not — would love to hear.
GALLING DEEPER
Landon Donovan named interim coach of San Diego Wave
The Wave traveled to Panama early for their first CONCACAF W Champions Cup match against Santa Fe FC on Tuesday night, in part to give Donovan some extra time with the team, which has only had a handful of training sessions since he took over. Donovan wants to stabilize the team and implement his ideas, but he also knows that Wave president Jill Ellis and general manager Cami Ashton consider the CONCACAF tournament just as important as the NWSL playoffs.
On Monday, Donovan said he had spoken directly with Wave officials — and planned to speak with defenseman Naomi Girma once she returns from her post-Olympics vacation — and planned to meet with more than a dozen players later in the day.
The Wave won the 2023 NWSL Shield, earning a spot in the Champions Cup. (Elsa/Getty Images)
“It’s important to me to get to know them as individuals quickly,” he said. “I want to get to know them as people. We spend a lot of time on that and we build real human connections with our players, and that’s important to me.”
Donovan said several times that he is impressed with the speed at which the players pick up new ideas, but he stressed that it is about more than just tactics as he gets straight to work with the 10th-place Wave.
How Donovan Got the Wave Job
Donovan’s connections to the Wave extend beyond his time as head coach of the former USL Championship men’s team, the San Diego Loyal, and the overlap between the teams in the Wave’s early years.
“I’ve known Jill (Ellis) since 2015. I was at the World Cup final in Vancouver and we spent a lot of time together after the game and got to know each other,” Donovan said of his connection with the former USWNT head coach. “She’s an incredible person. She’s an incredible leader. We’ve stayed in touch over time.”
Donovan said he texted Ellis when the team was going through “a tough time.”
The Wave currently sits in 10th place, but are just three points out of the final playoff spot thanks to the league’s expanded playoff format. In June, the team parted ways with head coach Casey Stoney, who had led the team to winning the 2023 NWSL Shield, which earned the team a spot in the CONCACAF W Champions Cup.
Last month, Ellis was accused of workplace abuse, which she denied. The NWSL confirmed that Ellis and the Wave were the subject of reports of misconduct, which the league investigated through an independent third party. No violations of league policy were found. In late July, Ellis filed a lawsuit against a former Wave employee who alleged workplace misconduct on social media.
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Ellis texted Donovan back asking if he had any interesting candidates for her.
“I didn’t respond to the message (right away),” Donovan said Monday. “I thought about it that night. I talked to my wife. I said, ‘I love San Diego. We’ve enjoyed watching and supporting the Wave. I miss coaching. Maybe I should think about it.’”
He replied to Ellis that if she was interested in talking, he would be willing to talk.
“That’s how it started, and now we’re here,” he said. Those conversations, Donovan said, were “very open and honest.” They were about building something recognizable, something the club as a whole could be proud of. Donovan said that with Ashton stabilizing the football side of the staff, they needed someone to stabilize things with the players, particularly “trust and culture.”
How Donovan’s Experience Can Help the Wave
“My number one core value is compassion,” Donovan said Monday, referring to his experience with mental healthHe said he was fully aware of what the players have been through, not just this year but throughout their careers.
“I don’t see this as just a football job,” he said. “My job is to have a positive impact on their lives every day. It doesn’t have to be on the field.”
He recalled a recent conversation he had with American forward Alex Morgan of San Diego after she was left off the Olympic roster.
“I went through the same thing they did this summer. I got cut from a team, and I can relate because I’ve been through that,” Donovan said. “We talked a long time about, ‘How do you make the last part of your career still positive?’ I was able to come back that season and win a championship with my team, and that was the lasting impression of that season, not that I got cut.”
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Landon Donovan spoke with Alex Morgan after she was cut from the U.S. Olympic roster. (Ira L. Black – Corbis / Getty Images)
Donovan was also asked about his approach to developing young talent, such as 16-year-old Melanie Barcenas and Kimmi Ascanio, and he again leaned on his experience.
“I’ve been in (Barcenas’) shoes. I was a 16-year-old with a lot of talent that people were talking about, and I know exactly what she’s going through. So that’s definitely going to be one of my personal projects,” he said. He hasn’t seen Ascanio play in person yet due to injuries, but he has watched the film and he mentioned other young players like Jaedyn Shaw.
But Donovan remained consistent in his goal.
“Because of all the experiences I’ve been through, I think I can connect with them on a very personal level,” he said. “If I make them better footballers, that’s great, and I think I will do that, but I also want to make them better people.”
Does Donovan see this job as a stepping stone?
Although Donovan holds a coaching license for U.S. A-level soccer, he has no experience in the NWSL or professional women’s soccer. Some have questioned whether he saw the Wave job as a possible stepping stone.
American soccer legend Landon Donavon becomes interim coach of San Diego Wave 🌊🇺🇸@susannahcollins, @Nicocantor1, @CharlieDavies9 And @TMeola1 weigh in on the new appointment 👇 photo.twitter.com/sMwCYiCYgk
— Attacking Third (@AttackingThird) August 16, 2024
“Let me share something that I’ve never shared publicly before, because it’s an interesting perspective from people,” Donovan said Monday. “I’ve been offered four MLS jobs in my life since I started coaching, and I’ve turned them all down.”
Donovan said there were a few reasons he turned down those offers, including his love of San Diego and his desire to work with “good people.” For Donovan, the Wave job ticks both of those boxes.
“There’s no better place in the world to be working right now than where I’m working with the Wave. I’m so content and so peaceful, and so I understand why people would question that, or question my motivation or whatever,” he continued. “People questioned my motivation when I wasn’t playing my entire career in Europe. I was happy to be playing in LA and helping MLS grow around good people and having passion for a project that I believed in and being close to my family.
“I’m not worried about the next job or the next gig or what this means or a stepping stone. I’m present and happy to be here, and I want to help this team succeed.”
He did say the option of a permanent appointment was open, but his contract only runs until the end of the 2024 season.
“If one side doesn’t want it or the other side doesn’t want it, no problem. There’s no hard feelings and we’ll move on,” Donovan said. “But let’s put our whole heart into it and go for it, and then we’ll see where it takes us.”
(Top photo: John Wilkinson / ISI Photos / Getty Images)
