Lexington Sporting Club names head coach for USL League One team
The first head coach in the history of Lexington Sporting Club’s senior men’s team has been announced, and it’s a familiar name for people who have followed the creation of the city’s newest pro soccer franchise.
Sam Stockley — who has served as the franchise’s sporting director since its inception in October 2021 — will now take over as the first head coach of LSC’s senior men’s team, which will begin play in USL League One in the spring.
Stockley will also remain in his role as LSC’s sporting director.
Born and raised in England, Stockley is a former professional soccer player for lower-division English teams such as Barnet and Wycombe Wanderers. He later played professionally in both Hungary and the United States before his career shifted into soccer broadcasting and coaching.
When speaking to the Herald-Leader last fall, Stockley stressed the opportunity to create a distinct soccer environment in Lexington.
“It was almost like a blank canvas. You could be part of something that ultimately could embed in a culture for generations to come,” Stockley said last fall. “You can’t do that anywhere else in the world and that’s really what’s so exciting about this project.”
Now, Stockley gets to shape this culture as the leader of LSC’s flagship team.
“To now have this opportunity to be able to be the head coach really allows the culture we have created to stay true to the alignment of what the vision was from the very start,” Stockley said in a statement Thursday. “It’s not often that you get to be part of building a football club from the ground up.”
In his role as sporting director, Stockley helped oversee the creation of LSC’s robust youth soccer program that features about 1,400 players and nearly 100 coaches.
One of most significant moments in this process came in March, when two existing competitive youth soccer programs in the city — Lexington F.C. and Commonwealth Soccer Club — merged to become Lexington Sporting Club Youth Soccer Club.
Distinct youth levels within LSC include Under-7 through Under-10 (skill acquisition phase), Under-11 through Under-12 (technical refinement phase), Under-13 through Under-15 (preparation phase) and Under-16 through Under-19 (pathway to pro phase) age groups.
“This is a critical hire for the club, and we could not think of a better person to shepherd us into our inaugural professional season,” LSC President Vince Gabbert said in a statement Thursday. “Sam has already devoted countless hours building our program from top to bottom and has truly brought a holistic approach to Lexington where each player has a chance for success. … The dedication he has exhibited toward the success of the club at every level makes him the perfect fit to oversee our first ever senior team.”
Late last month, LSC announced Connor Talbot will serve as the head of goalkeeping for the club and oversee all goalkeeping curriculum and coaching. Talbot will be the goalkeeping coach for the LSC senior men’s team.
Two more assistant coaches are expected to be announced to join Stockley’s staff in the coming weeks.
