Balaam guided expansion team to 16 wins and playoff berth

The Gainbridge Super League announced Wednesday that Sporting JAX Head Coach Stacey Balaam has been named the Gainbridge Super League Coach of the Year, following a historic regular season leading the expansion club.

Just 13 months after the Suffolk, England native was named the first head coach in club history, Balaam was voted top of the class by her peers. The honor comes after a historic 16-win regular season as the league’s sole expansion club.

The inaugural campaign also yielded countless awards for Balaam’s players, including six All-League selections, Golden Playmaker and more. Many of these players were also playing their first season of professional soccer. A former player herself, Balaam helped guide these young newcomers to incredible heights in year one.

“Stacey has done a tremendous job in her first year in the position and has fully earned this award,” Sporting JAX President of Soccer Mark Warburton said. “She has established both a winning culture and a winning mentality and the team have responded accordingly. Stacey, her staff and of course the players, deserve all of the plaudits that will inevitably come their way!”

The 2025/26 season marked Balaam’s first time serving in a professional coaching role. Prior to Sporting JAX, she spent time in the collegiate ranks at the University of North Georgia, the University of West Georgia and Vanderbilt University most recently.

“This season has been an incredible journey full of moments I’ll never forget,” Balaam said. “This award reflects the players and how much they bought into and stuck to our identity. I would like to dedicate this award to them and of course all of my technical and support staff who have worked tirelessly throughout the year to help us achieve this success.”

Fans can learn more by visiting  sportingjax.com, and can stay connected with the latest news, matchday updates, and behind-the-scenes stories by following @Sporting_JAX across all social platforms.