Canterbury’s Coastal Spirit have announced the departure of award-winning women’s first-team coach Juan Chang.
Chang (36) has been named Mainland Football’s Women’s Coach of the Year four times during his role coaching Coastal Spirit and St Albans Shirley.
Confirming his departure, Coastal Spirit’s announcement said: “Juan has been an amazing and highly successful coach who has seen the club go from strength to strength in the women’s game.”
During his coaching term, Chang’s squads won:
- 5 Women’s Premier League championships
- 5 Hawkey Shields
- 3 Reta Fitzpatrick Cups
- 4 McFarlane Cups
- 1 South Island championship
His teams also provided WPL debuts for 32 players in five years.
In addition to his club role, Chang is currently the coach of the Samoan national U-20 team.
Main photo: Juan Chang coached Samoa at the OFC U-19 Women’s Championship tournament.
A former Guatemala international, Germany-raised Chang was brought to Christchurch to play National League football with the Canterbury United Dragons and started coaching at St Albans Shirley Football Club.
He combined his duties as the Coastal Spirit’s women’s head coach and St Albans Shirley’s Director of Football.
In 2020, Coastal Spirit and St Albans Shirley agreed to collaborate in the women’s space, to produce a stronger pathway for young players.