Chicago Stars FC today announced that the club has parted ways with Head Coach Martin Sjögren and Assistant Coach Anders Jacobson. Karina Báez will serve as interim head coach for the remainder of the 2026 NWSL season. Báez has served as an assistant coach for the Stars for three seasons and has extensive experience in various technical roles, including as a head coach abroad.
In addition, former Chicago Stars FC head coach Lorne Donaldson will return to the club as interim director of coaching for the remainder of the 2026 NWSL season, overseeing all technical and analytical aspects while reuniting with a familiar roster and staff.
"We are determined to make our club a serious contender in the NWSL and have a plan in place to do so beginning now and leading into the 2027 season,” said Chicago Stars FC President Karen Leetzow. “We wish Martin and Anders the best in their future endeavors, and we’re grateful to Karina for stepping into this leadership role, as well as Lorne Donaldson for his disposition to return to our club and help guide the team during this transition period as we rebuild the infrastructure of our sporting department.”
Now in her third season with the club, Báez previously focused primarily on analytics. Prior to joining the Stars, Báez worked as a scout for the Mexico Women’s National Team, bringing extensive experience in player evaluation and match analysis.
Before her national team role, Báez spent several years in Liga MX Femenil, serving as an assistant coach with both Pachuca and Tigres while also contributing to the development of each club’s U-15 and U-17 programs. In 2021, she was named head coach of Pumas UNAM Femenil, leading the team through the 2021-22 season and further establishing herself as one of the rising coaching talents in Mexican women’s soccer.
Donaldson returns to the Stars following a hiatus after his departure from the club in April 2025. The Jamaica native and former professional player first joined the Stars ahead of the 2024 NWSL season. During his tenure, he led the Stars from a last-place finish in 2023 to a playoff berth in 2024 with a 10-14-2 regular-season record that year.
“This is a group of players I truly care about, and I’m very happy to return to the Chicago Stars for the next several months,” said Donaldson. “I'm excited to reunite with some familiar faces, for the opportunity to meet new players, and I look forward to working together with the staff to earn some wins in the final stretch of the season.”
In addition, Nicole Lukic joins Chicago Stars FC as a full-time assistant coach with an extensive background in player identification, talent development, and high-performance coaching across the professional, youth national team, and collegiate pathways. Most recently, Lukic served as Head Coach of Spokane Zephyr FC in the USL Super League and as Director of Talent Identification for U.S. Soccer’s Women’s Youth National Teams, where she helped oversee player evaluation and development strategies for the nation’s top emerging talent.
In her role with the Stars, Lukic will play a key part in the individual development of players throughout the roster, leveraging her experience building player pathways and maximizing performance at every stage of the game. Her track record of fostering growth, creating high-performance environments, and helping athletes reach their potential will further strengthen the club’s commitment to developing players on and off the field.
Lukic is the latest addition to the improving and evolving Chicago Stars technical structure, which has recently added two highly experienced leaders in Kate Cohen as interim technical consultant and Garga Caserta as interim director of high performance.
Sjögren joined the Stars prior to the start of the 2026 season after being named head coach in August 2025. Under Sjögren, the Stars recorded a 4-13-1 record for a total of 12 points, a one-win improvement from 2025, while sitting last in the league standings. Jacobson joined the Stars’ coaching staff in August 2025 alongside Sjögren, a longtime colleague. Jacobson also served as interim head coach for Chicago from September 7, 2025, through the end of the 2025 NWSL season, while Sjögren completed his head coaching responsibilities with Hammarby IF for the remainder of the year. Under Jacobson, the Stars went 1-4-3 to close out the 2025 season after having a 1-9-8 record before his arrival.
The Chicago Stars will return to action as they travel to face Seattle Reign FC on Friday, August 14 at 9 p.m. CT before traveling to face Houston Dash FC on Wednesday, August 19 at 7 p.m. CT. The Stars will then return home to Martin Stadium on Sunday, August 23 to take on Racing Louisville FC at 7 p.m. CT in the club’s All In match, presented by Wintrust.
