Chicago Stars FC announced staff changes in their coaching department Wednesday following continued struggles in the NWSL season. The club terminated head coach Marin Sjögren and assistant coach Anders Jacobson, who had been with the organization since August 2025. Sjögren, a former Norwegian women’s national team manager, finalized his tenure with a 4W-13L-1D record, leaving the franchise in last place with 12 points in the league standings.
Karina Baez, who joined Chicago Stars FC in 2024, has been elevated to interim head coach through the 2026 season. She brings prior experience with the Mexico women’s national team and has held assistant and head coach positions with multiple Liga MX Femenil clubs including Pachuca, Tigres, and Pumas. Additionally, Lorne Donaldson, who previously managed the team during a playoff run in 2024 before his departure in April 2025, returns in an interim director of coaching capacity. His appointment follows player feedback regarding his previous tenure and his overall rapport with the squad.
The franchise has undergone significant personnel transitions in recent months. Rick Feuz, the general manager who hired Sjögren and Jacobson from Hammarby IF, was fired in May, with Beatrice Callani serving as assistant general manager since March. The club remains in the market for a permanent general manager and head coach. Additional coaching appointments include Nicole Lukic as full-time assistant coach, Kate Cohen as interim technical consultant, and Garga Caserta as interim director of high performance. Lukic previously served as head coach of Spokane Zephyr FC in the USL Super League and worked in player development roles with U.S. Soccer’s women’s youth national teams.
President Karen Leetzow stated the organization is committed to becoming “a serious contender in the NWSL” with plans extending into the 2027 season. The team faces Seattle Reign FC on Friday as it attempts to improve its standing in the latter portion of the campaign.
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