Lexington Sporting Club makes coaching change

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - The Lexington Sporting Club announced prior to Sunday’s match that Head Coach Sam Stockley will no longer be coaching to dedicate more time to his role as the Men’s Sporting Director.

Nacho Novo has been named the interim head coach. He previously served as the club’s First Assistant Coach.

“Nacho has a tremendous track record on the pitch as a player and we have seen him grow as a coach in his short time with us,” said Bill Shively, Lexington SC’s Majority Owner in a press release. “As our entire Club continues to grow, we hope to finish our inaugural season on a high note.”

According to the release, Club President Vince Gabbert says that this change was planned and that Stockley is well-equipped to serve in a role that will demand his “full, undivided focus, including finding the next head coach for the Club.”

“With our youth academy continuing to grow and permanent facilities coming to fruition, the Sporting Director role will require Sam’s full attention for the long-term success of this club,” Gabbert said in the release. “Our original plan was for Sam’s dual role as Head Coach and Sporting Director to be short-term. Sam has been an integral part of the formation of Lexington SC and one of its centerpieces since the beginning. We can’t thank him enough for putting this club on the path to success.”

Lexington Sporting Club (7-12-8) currently has five regular season matches remaining in it’s inaugural season. Heading in to Sunday’s match against Charlotte, they sit in ninth place in the USL League One standings with 29 playoff points.