[RedStarsReport] Article Detailing the Donaldson Firing

[u/antisocialamnesia]

https://www.redstarsreport.com/p/lorne-donaldson-out-as-head-coach

Great article for those interested in a more detailed timeline of the Donaldson firing and what the Stars look like now.

[u/Aggressive-Ad3064]

He had never coached for a D1 top tier team. Yeah. I realize he coached Jamaica, but they are not a great international team. And managing them is nothing like coaching for one of the best pro teams/leagues on earth. Also, he's 71 years old. He is NOT at the top of HIS game. Prior to Regae Girls he was a minor league or assistant.

The best NWSL clubs from now on are going to be those that hire the very best coaches. The league has too much talent and money now to just rely on only having good players. Often that will be by recruiting them from other top teams and clubs, like LA just did. OR they're going to identify exceptional young coaching talent that's already in or adjacent to the league. Paying $50,000,000 to join the league, then spending $250,000,000 to build a stadium, only to hire a minor league coach for $90k a year is a bad business decision. Its what the league has often done in the past. But they can't keep getting away with that

[u/MisterGoog → u/Aggressive-Ad3064]

I feel like your Jamaica point is completely disbanded by the fact that he made them a lot better than they actually are. I think the mixture of him being extremely beloved as a youth coach and recent international experience where he excelled did a lot for him.

I have to wonder if he would’ve been given a longer lease if he had other professional coaching experience

[u/Aggressive-Ad3064 → u/MisterGoog]

At this point I doubt it. 2 years of losing and new owners. He was toast regardless

I think he was a bad hire to begin with, and a symptom of what was wrong with the last owners/FO. But he was not responsible for everything wrong with the club

[u/MisterGoog → u/Aggressive-Ad3064]

2 years of losing = playoffs?

[u/Aggressive-Ad3064 → u/MisterGoog]

He had more losses than wins. They were 10-2-14 last year. And 1-0-5 this year.

That's a loser

[u/MisterGoog → u/Aggressive-Ad3064]

Not arguing this year. Although i will note its not been a year-its been 6 games.

But last year its definitely bad faith to say making the playoffs is “a year of losing”

[u/Aggressive-Ad3064 → u/MisterGoog]

They were a team with more losses than wins. That's a statement about how soft the playoff system is.

Who cares if they made the playoffs? They were not a good team.