Stacey Balaam

Stacey Balaam ( ; born 9 September 1985) is an English-born former football player and current head coach of Sporting JAX in the USL Super League. As a player, she played as a midfielder and captained the Atlanta Silverbacks to the 2011 USL W-League championship and earned accolades playing in Iceland. She has held collegiate coaching positions at Vanderbilt University, the University of West Georgia, and the University of North Georgia, helping lead the Vanderbilt Commodores to the NCAA Division I Sweet 16 in 2023.

Early life and playing career Born in Suffolk, England, Balaam represented the England U‑19 national team before moving to the United States to play college soccer at the University of Montevallo, from 2005 to 2008. At Montevallo, she was a two-time NCAA Division II All-American, three-time All-Region, and four-time All-Gulf South Conference (GSC) selection. She finished as the school’s all-time leader with 100 points and 50 assists, and helped the Falcons win their first GSC tournament; she was later inducted into Montevallo’s Hall of Fame and the GSC's All-Decade team. She also scored 25 goals for the Falcons.

After college, Balaam played semi-professionally in Iceland—where she scored a game‑winner and earned a Team of the Week selection—before returning to the US to captain the Atlanta Silverbacks in the USL W‑League. She led the team to a league championship in 2011 and continued as captain through 2013.

Coaching career University of North Georgia Balaam served six seasons as assistant coach for the North Georgia Nighthawks, from 2007 to 2012, contributing to a 91–24–10 record that included five NCAA Division II Tournament appearances and a program-best No. 2 NSCAA national ranking in 2015. She earned her USSF B‑licence and NSCAA coaching diplomas during this period.

Vanderbilt University In February 2023, Balaam joined the Vanderbilt Commodores as assistant coach under Darren Ambrose. She was promoted to associate head coach in February 2025. During her tenure, Vanderbilt scored 45 goals in a season—tied for 10th-most in program history—and reached the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2023.

Sporting JAX 2025–26 On 2 April 2025, Balaam was appointed the first head coach of Sporting JAX’s women’s USL Super League team.

Sporting JAX earned its first-ever competitive victory on 30 August 2025, when the team defeated the defending champion Tampa Bay Sun FC 3–2 in their second-ever match.

On 22 November, Sporting JAX earned its first-ever home win, a 2–0 victory over Fort Lauderdale United FC at Hodges Stadium on the campus of the University of North Florida (UNF). Prior to that match, the team had recorded one home friendly win and four away victories.

At the midway point of Sporting JAX’s inaugural season, the club occupied first place in the league standings, posting a record of seven wins, three losses, and four draws.

For her coaching efforts in December 2025, Balaam was named USL Super League Coach of the Month. The team went 2–0–1 and took the lead in the league standings over Lexington SC. She was subsequently named Coach of the Month for February 2026, following the midseason break.

In May 2026, following the conclusion of the USL Super League's regular season, Balaam was chosen as the league's Coach of the Year. She won 78% of the vote with the other four nominees tying for second with 6%, respectively.

2026 Balaam was named USL Super League Coach of the Month for August 2026 for helping to lead Sporting JAX to a 3-0-0 start. She also led them to their first comeback victory in squad history when they beat Tampa Bay Sun FC 3–2 on August 22, 2026.

Head coaching record West Georgia

Sporting JAX

Season Team Overall Standing Postseason Sporting JAX — USL Super League (2025–) 2025–26 Sporting JAX 16–7–5 2nd Semifinals 2026 Sporting JAX 3–0–0 – Sporting JAX: 19–7–5 Total:

Personal life Balaam was raised in Suffolk, England, and supports West Ham United. She holds a USSF B coaching licence and NSCAA credentials as a goalkeeper coach and regional diploma recipient.

Honors and recognition As player: Two‑time NCAA Division II All-American Gulf South Tournament champion Montevallo Hall of Fame inductee USL W‑League Champion, 2011

As coach: First GSC Tournament Final appearance: 2021 with West Georgia NCAA Sweet 16 appearance: 2023 with Vanderbilt USL Super League Coach of the Month: December 2025; February 2026; August 2026 USL Super League Coach of the Year: 2025–26