RENTON, WASH. – Tacoma Defiance today announced that it has parted ways with Head Coach Hervé Diese, effective immediately. Veteran Sounders FC and Defiance assistant Michael Morris is taking over sideline duties while the search for the team’s next Head Coach begins.
Diese came to Sounders FC’s MLS NEXT Pro side following the 2023 season as an Assistant Coach for CF Montréal. His previous stops included Orlando City SC’s Academy, NWSL club Angel City SC and the University of Chicago. He departs Defiance after overseeing 50 matches at the helm, compiling a 23-19-8 record across the 2024 and 2025 campaigns.
Diese was the fifth Head Coach in Tacoma Defiance / Sounders FC 2 team history, following Wade Webber (2021-2023), Chris Little (2019-2020), John Hutchinson (2018) and Ezra Hendrickson (2014-2017). Defiance is currently in 11th position in the MLS NEXT Pro Western Conference with a 6-7-3 record (23 points), with the club next in action against rival Timbers2 on Sunday, July 27 at Starfire Stadium (7:00 p.m. PT / Apple TV).
