Rowdies name new Head Coach

Dominic Casciato has signed on to lead the club

The Tampa Bay Rowdies announced today that two-time USL League One Coach of the Year Dominic Casciato has signed on to lead the club as the team’s new head coach.

Steve Coleman who has led the Rowdies the last three months as the caretaker manager remains on the technical staff.

Casciato joins Tampa Bay after recently leading Union Omaha to back-to-back Players’ Shields and a victory in last year’s USL League One Final. The Rowdies negotiated an undisclosed fee with Omaha to secure Casciato’s arrival in Tampa Bay.

“We are thrilled to welcome Dom and his family to Tampa Bay,” said Rowdies Vice Chairman Brian Auld. “Dom has established an impeccable reputation in the USL and U.S. Soccer, and his recent successes with Omaha demonstrate he is a focused leader with an innovative mind who is capable of building a winning culture. His emphasis on supporting his players and helping them reach their full potential is exactly the kind of leadership we value, and we’re confident he will make a lasting impact on the club.”

Omaha offered Casciato his first head coaching opportunity in the professional ranks ahead of the 2023 season. Under his guidance, Omaha captured the USL League One Players’ Shield that first year with a record-setting 65 points and 61 goals in the regular season, including a league-best 10-match winning streak. Casciato continued to break records in his follow-up season, as his squad set a new league standard with a +23 goal differential and a scoring rate of 2.14 goals per match.

“I’m both humbled and honored to have the opportunity to lead one of the country’s most iconic and successful clubs in the Tampa Bay Rowdies,” said Casciato. “I want to thank Stuart Sternberg, Brian Auld and Matt Silverman, as well as Nico Castillo and Ryan Helfrick, for placing their trust in me as we embark on the future of this storied club.

“I’m eager to meet the players and build on the strong foundation already laid by Steve Coleman, Stuart Dobson, Yann Ekra, and Alejandro Fernandez. To all Rowdies fans—I’m committed to honoring the club’s legacy and helping shape a future that reflects the passion and pride you already bring to this team.”

A native of London, Casciato offers nearly 15 years of coaching experience across several levels in both America and Europe. He had a four-year college career at Limestone University and began his coaching journey as an assistant for St. John’s University. He progressed to serve as a member of the technical staff for multiple clubs, including USL League Two's Jersey Express SC, the National Premier Soccer League’s Brooklyn Italians, and the National Independent Soccer Association’s New York Cosmos. Casciato also gained valuable experience abroad while coaching the academy and pre-academy teams for La Liga’s RCD Espanyol de Barcelona for three years, which he followed up with a scouting role for Danish side FC Midtjylland.

In 2021, Casciato joined the technical staff of El Paso Locomotive FC in the USL Championship for a two-year stint. Brought in with a focus on boosting the Western Conference club’s attacking output, Casciato helped El Paso improve from 21st to 5th in goals scored across the league and finish second in the conference standings in his first season.

After serving as interim head coach since early April, Steve Coleman will resume his role as assistant coach on the Rowdies technical staff.

"On behalf of the Rowdies, we would like to thank Steve Coleman for his hard work and dedication to the club while leading us over the last three months," said Rowdies President Ryan Helfrick. "We are grateful to have him continue to be an integral part of our technical staff.

"Dom has experienced success in every stop of his coaching career, and we look forward to his continued success with the Rowdies. Fans can anticipate seeing a relentless, attacking style of soccer that will put us in a position to start getting the results they expect from our club.”