Racing Louisville FC appointed Bellarmine University assistant and former University of Louisville midfielder Callie McKinney as its W League team head coach for the 2023 season, the club announced Thursday.
McKinney will lead Racing’s W League squad through its second summer campaign in the USL’s pre-professional women’s soccer league. The full technical staff will be announced at a later date.Those interested in playing on Racing’s W League team can register to attend the team’s April 30 open tryouts. Contact assistant coach Libby Stout (lstout@loucity.com) with any questions.
“I am super pumped and grateful for the opportunity to be coaching young, passionate and competitive ladies for the Racing W League team this summer,” McKinney said. “This is a great time to continue development for these ladies and compete at a high level in a professional environment. We will be intentional about getting 1% better every time we step on the pitch in preparation for our league games while also preparing them to go back to their college teams ready to compete at their best for their upcoming seasons.”
A Tennessee native, McKinney is entering her fourth season at Bellarmine and third as a full-time assistant. She also works in the Racing Louisville Academy alongside Youth Academy Director Mario Sanchez, coaching the U-16 squad.
“We are excited to have Callie lead our W League team this summer,” Sanchez said. “Callie has worked in our academy for the last two years and has proven to be an outstanding coach. Most importantly, she is a great leader and mentor for our players.
“We are looking forward to building off a great inaugural season in the W league. The W League has proven to be a great platform for our academy players to test themselves against older competition. It also has enabled us to provide opportunities for top collegiate players from this area and around the country as well as a platform for our coaches to continue to grow in their own personal coaching development.”
Before joining Bellarmine’s staff as a graduate assistant in 2020, McKinney was a standout midfielder for the University of Louisville, helping the Cardinals reach the NCAA Tournament in her final two seasons. She was a teammate of current Racing Louisville forward Emina Ekic for three years.
“This honor is very well deserved,” Ekic said of McKinney. “Callie took me in and helped me get adjusted to college soccer when I arrived as a freshman. I learned a lot from her during my time at Louisville, and I know she makes an amazing coach.”
Racing’s pre-professional squad, which is comprised mainly of college athletes and academy standouts, will begin its W League season in mid-May before wrapping up in June. This season, Louisville will compete in the Valley Division along with clubs from Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri and Ohio. Fans can see the full schedule by visiting RacingLouFC.com/WLeague.
Home W League games will be open to the public and free to attend at the Lynn Family Sports Vision & Training Center, located at 801 Edith Road in Louisville. Select away games may be streamed live via ElevenSports.com.
