Sam James Laity (born 3 July 1976) is an English football manager who is currently a senior assistant coach at Angel City FC in the American National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). He was previously an assistant coach for fellow American teams Houston Dash and Seattle Reign FC, where he also served as interim coach for a period in 2021.[4][5][6][7]
Laity attended university in Plymouth, England, where he began coaching girls' school programs for the Devon County Football Association. After completing his studies, Laity moved to the United States to continue his work in the sport. He worked as a coach for Seattle-area youth clubs Dos FC, Westsound FC, and Pacific Premier, was director of the Pacific Northwest Soccer Club in Tukwila, Washington, and worked as a regional staff instructor and coaching education and licensing coordinator for the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.[3][8]
Laity was an assistant coach for Seattle Reign FC, later renamed to Reign FC and OL Reign, from its inaugural season in 2013[9] until 2022.[6] During his tenure, he was an assistant to Laura Harvey, Vlatko Andonovski, and Farid Benstiti, and served as interim coach for six matches after Benstiti's resignation during the 2021 season. He was also a coach in the Reign's academy system from its incorporation in 2016 to 2019.[8][10]
On 21 December 2022, NWSL club Houston Dash hired Laity as head coach.[6] On 6 September 2023, the Dash fired Laity.[7]
On January 22, 2025, NWSL club Angel City FC announced along with their preseason roster, that they are hired Laity as interim head coach during their search for a new head coach after the departure of Becki Tweed.[11] Laity is expected to remain in the role until June 1, 2025, when incoming head coach Alexander Straus begins their tenure, while Laity will remain on the coaching staff as a senior assistant coach once Straus arrives.[12]
| Team | From | To | Record | Ref. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| OL Reign (interim) |
2 July 2021 | 8 August 2021 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 66.7 | [13] |
| Houston Dash | 26 March 2023 | 6 September 2023 | 24 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 25.0 | [14] |
| Total | 30 | 10 | 8 | 12 | 33.3 | |||
Laity is a fan of architecture and especially admires the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri, and structures in Boston, Massachusetts.[8]
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