ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Tampa Bay Rowdies announced on Tuesday it had appointed two-time USL League One Coach of the Year Dominic Casciato as the club’s new Head Coach.

Casciato joins Tampa Bay after recently leading Union Omaha to back-to-back USL League One 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 am so proud of what our organization was able to achieve with Coach Casciato at the helm,” said Union Omaha owner Gary Green. “I’m also incredibly proud that Coach Casciato's first head coaching opportunity came with Union Omaha, and now he’s earned the chance to move up to the USL Championship. It’s a testament not only to his talent and leadership but also to the winning culture we've built in Omaha.“

“Union Omaha and the Greater Omaha community have been amazing for me and my family, both on and off the pitch,” said Dominic Casciato. “Winning three trophies in two years was beyond my wildest dreams when I first arrived, but was topped by our first son being born here last year. The opportunity of leading one of the country’s most historic and successful clubs at the Tampa Bay Rowdies is one that I couldn’t turn down, so I’d like to thank Gary Green for keeping his word to me that when the right opportunity came along, he would support me.” 

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 the role of video of analyst 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.”

Casciato’s first match as head coach will be this Saturday, July 12, as the Rowdies travel to face San Antonio FC. The match is set to kick off at 9 p.m. ET and will be broadcast locally on Tampa Bay 44 and available to stream on ESPN+. 

Union Omaha will soon release details on Casciato's successor as the club prepares to face off against the Charlotte Independence on Saturday, July 12 at 7 p.m. ET, streaming on ESPN+.