SAN DIEGO — Landon Donovan is no longer head coach of the San Diego Loyal.
The team announced Friday he's now full time Executive Vice President of Soccer Operations and that former associate head coach Nate Miller is the head coach.
Donovan, currently in Qatar for the World Cup, will devote more time to the executive role he's held since the team's founding, per the club. Miller coached under Donovan all three years.
"There isn't a better coach suited to take the lead managing our club than Nate Miller," Donovan said in the release.
The former star forward Donovan had no coaching experience when he took over the Loyal. Miller had coached a USL expansion team in Michigan for one year and headed Spring Arbor University's men's program for six years before joining Donovan's first staff in January 2020.
This year, in their first season not shortened by pandemic, the club went 18-10-6 to finish second in a 13-team conference. In the 27-team USL, they were fourth in goals but lost their playoff opener, 3-0.
"We couldn't be happier with the progress of our organization," said Ricardo Campos, the team's president. "The club culture that's been created, and our on-field success is hugely credited in part to the work of Nate Miller."
