Chicago Stars FC Part Ways with Head Coach, Lorne Donaldson

Chicago Stars FC today announced that the club is parting ways with head coach, Lorne Donaldson. First assistant coach, Masaki Hemmi, will serve as interim head coach while the team searches for a replacement.

"We are grateful to Lorne Donaldson for the culture, respect and sense of self-belief he helped build within our squad. We appreciate his work and wish him the best for the future,” said Chicago Stars general manager, Richard Feuz.

Donaldson joined the club in 2024, led the Stars to a 10-14-2 regular-season record and qualified the club for the 2024 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) playoffs after finishing at the bottom of the league table in 2023. The Stars have started the 2025 regular season with a 1-5-0 record and are currently in 14th place in the league. Prior to joining the club, Donaldson served as assistant and head coach of Jamaica’s Women’s National Team, which he led to the knockout rounds of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup making them the first Caribbean nation to advance to the round of 16.

Masaki Hemmi will now serve as interim head coach, working closely with assistant coaches Ella Masar, Karina Báez and Brenton Saylor, as the club focuses on collective leadership and stability during this transitional period, and while the club searches for a new permanent head coach. Hemmi joined the club from United Soccer League club, New Mexico United, where he served as director of player personnel and first assistant coach. In 2021, Hemmi joined Japanese side, INAC Kobe of the WE League, as associate head coach to help players prepare for the Tokyo Olympics.

The Chicago Stars would like to thank Lorne for his commitment to the club and the players over his tenure as head coach and wish him the best in all his future endeavors.

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