Phil Casella concluded his eighth season at the helm of the Wagner College women’s soccer program in 2024 and is set to begin his ninth season leading the Seahawks in 2025, continuing a historic stretch of success for the program.
This past season, Casella guided Wagner to an 8-5-6 overall record and a 7-1-2 mark in Northeast Conference (NEC) play, securing the No. 2 seed in the league tournament. The Seahawks hosted their first-ever NEC semifinal and earned back-to-back NEC Tournament appearances for the first time in program history. Wagner’s .579 win percentage in 2024 marked the highest single-season winning percentage of Casella’s tenure.
The team was bolstered by five All-NEC selections, including First Team honoree Kayla Barbosa. Goalkeeper Sam Hughes earned Second Team recognition, while freshmen Deirdre Meberg, Hailey Knapp, and Alana Arjona were named to the All-Rookie Team.
In 2023, Wagner made its first-ever NEC Championship appearance after entering the tournament as the lowest seed. The Seahawks earned their first postseason victory with a 3-0 win over FDU before stunning top-seeded Merrimack in the semifinals. Barbosa forced overtime with a last-second goal, and goalkeeper Shae McGinty delivered a heroic performance in penalty kicks to lift Wagner to the title match. That postseason run marked just the third time Wagner had qualified for NEC Tournament play, and the team’s two road wins capped the best season in program history.
Casella’s impact was evident in 2021 as well, with Madison Carr earning All-NEC First Team honors after leading the conference with nine goals and ranking top-five in points. Nationally, Carr ranked 77th in goals per game (0.50) and 80th in shot accuracy (56.1%). Defensively, the team was anchored by All-Rookie selection Kayla Barbosa and freshman goalkeeper Sam Hughes. The Seahawks recorded five clean sheets, with Hughes ranking 78th in saves per game (5.09) and among the top 100 in save percentage (80.0%). Wagner opened that season with convincing wins over Rider and Saint Peter’s, and closed by winning five of its final eight matches.
In 2019, the Seahawks earned a non-conference shutout over Delaware State and defeated Iona for the first time since 2014. The year was marked by tightly contested matches, with three draws, seven one-goal losses, and one overtime victory.
The 2018 season featured non-conference victories over Delaware State and Rhode Island, with the latter marking Wagner’s first-ever win against an Atlantic 10 opponent. Freshman Luisa Barone was named to the NEC All-Rookie Team—the eighth player in program history to do so and the first under Casella. That same season, Wagner earned the NYMISOA Bob Blitz Sportsmanship Award for the third time in program history and the first since 2002.
Casella’s first season in 2017 saw Wagner pick up road wins over MAAC foes Rider and Saint Peter’s while finishing the academic year with the highest team GPA among all Wagner athletic programs (3.63). Despite a roster dominated by underclassmen, the team led the NEC in total saves (126), showing early signs of the defensive identity that would define Casella’s squads.
A 1997 graduate of NEC rival Fairleigh Dickinson, Casella returned to the conference after four seasons as an assistant coach at Mississippi State in the SEC. While at Mississippi State, he helped guide the Bulldogs to their best conference record in 13 years and an upset win over No. 20 Kentucky. Off the field, the program posted its highest-ever team GPA (3.56) during his tenure. Casella also oversaw recruiting, match analysis, and equipment logistics.
Prior to his time in the SEC, Casella served as an assistant at FDU from 2000–06, helping the Knights to a 7-2-1 NEC record in 2002 and an ECAC Championship in 2003. He also spent time at Fordham in 2006, contributing to a 14-win season and an appearance in the Atlantic 10 finals.
In addition to his collegiate experience, Casella has coached at various levels of the amateur and youth soccer ranks. Notably, he led the New York Fury to a WPSL East-Mid Atlantic Conference regular-season championship in 2011 and later coached the Long Island Fury in 2012–13.
Casella holds a U.S. Soccer National “C” License and is a member of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). As a player, he competed with the North Jersey Imperials of the USISL from 1996–98.
