UPDATE: The Sounders made Diese's hiring official on Tuesday.
“We are thrilled to announce Hervé Diese as the next Head Coach of Tacoma Defiance,” Sounders General Manager Craig Waibel said in a team release. “He’s a hungry, ambitious coach with a wealth of experience across many levels of soccer. We see him as a great fit to take the reins of the club’s MLS NEXT Pro side and not only win games, but also develop players to perform for the First Team.”
The Tacoma Defiance have hired Hervé Diese to be their next head coach, Sounder at Heart has learned. Diese, 38, comes to the Seattle Sounders organization with a fascinating resume that notably includes assistant positions in the NWSL with Angel City and most recently in MLS with CF Montreal.
Diese came to the United States from South Africa more than a decade ago where he started out coaching at the high school and then college levels. He then spent time coaching in the New York Red Bulls and Orlando City academies and picked up his UEFA B License in 2019 before transitioning into the professional environment.
Among the languages Diese speaks are French, Spanish and English, and he apparently impressed the Sounders with his technical acumen.
Defiance assistant coach Mike Morris is expected to remain in his position.
*This story was originally published on Jan. 15, 2024 and updated on Feb. 6, 2024.
