Former Canada women’s head coach, Kenneth Heiner-Moller, has taken on the new position of sporting director for national teams at Canada Soccer, assuming a key leadership role within the organization. As outlined in the official job description, the sporting director is accountable for overseeing the national teams and high-performance programs at Canada Soccer, reporting directly to the CEO.
In this new role, Heiner-Moller will be responsible for managing national team coaches Jesse Marsch and Casey Stoney, while reporting to CEO Kevin Blue. Blue expressed enthusiasm about Heiner-Moller’s appointment, citing his international technical expertise and diverse experience as valuable assets to Canada Soccer as they enhance their sporting framework and gear up for upcoming initiatives post-World Cup.
Heiner-Moller, aged 55, has been serving as the technical director for San Diego FC over the past year, having joined the MLS expansion team in January 2025. He is expected to transition to a full-time engagement with Canada Soccer in the summer, aligning with Canada’s role as a co-host for the World Cup. Drawing from his experience with Denmark’s national team at Euro 2020, Heiner-Moller anticipates significant opportunities and developments following major tournaments.
Before his tenure with San Diego FC, Heiner-Moller held positions at the Danish Football Association for 4 1/2 years, where he managed coach education and performance, mirroring the responsibilities he will undertake at Canada Soccer. He previously served as the Canada head coach from January 2018, succeeding John Herdman, and departed in August 2020 to return to Denmark due to various factors including the global pandemic and the opening at the Danish association.
During his time as Canada’s head coach, Heiner-Moller guided the team to qualify for the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France and the Tokyo Olympics. Notably, under his leadership, Christine Sinclair became the all-time leading goal-scorer in women’s soccer. The transition from Herdman to Heiner-Moller brought a change in leadership style, with Heiner-Moller known for his laid-back demeanor and strategic approach.
Heiner-Moller’s return to Canada is motivated by family reasons, as his wife, Anja Heiner-Moller, coaches the Vancouver Rise. The couple, who have two daughters, made a synchronized move to San Diego and Vancouver, capitalizing on opportunities to be together during breaks. Anja, a former Danish international, previously worked as an academy coach with Vancouver Whitecaps FC and North Shore Girls Soccer Club while Kenneth was coaching Canada.