Adrian Stenta named A-League Women Coach of the Year

Adelaide United head coach Adrian Stenta has been recognised for transforming the Reds in 2024-25 with the Ninja A-League Coach of the Year award.

Stenta was honoured at the Dolan Warren Awards for a regular season in which he took Adelaide from a wooden spoon finish to third in one year; Stenta’s Reds earned 45 points throughout the campaign, triple their 15-point tally under Stenta last time out.

Fourteen regular-season wins and a club-best points haul of 45 saw the 2024-25 Adelaide squad transform from cellar dwellers to title contenders under Stenta this season.

A mid-season run of 11 games without defeat became the longest unbeaten streak in club history as Adelaide booked their spot in the post-season, having tripled their points tally from the season prior.

It’s the second time Stenta has won the Ninja A-League Coach of the Year award, following his triumph in 2022.

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The Coach of the Year award was decided via a four-mechanism process:

A 3-2-1 voting basis by the head coach of each club immediately following the conclusion of the A-League Women Regular Season
A 3-2-1 voting basis by a panel of three technical football experts appointed by the Australian Professional Leagues (APL)
A 3-2-1 voting basis by a panel of five media representatives appointed by the APL
1 point awarded for each Coach of the Month award during the A-League Women regular season

When accepting his second Coach of the Year award of his career at the Dolan Warren Awards, Stenta thanked his coaching staff and the playing group for committing to an early return to pre-season and buying into the ambitious plan to significantly improve in 2024-25 – a plan that paid off in spades for the club as the Reds transformed into one of the best teams in the Ninja A-League.

“I’m most proud of the resilience the group showed,” Stenta said.

“They were really determined at the end of last year to come together and really show what we’re about. It wasn’t easy, but they came back early, they rolled up their sleeves and really showed what they were capable of. It was a fantastic season for the club and a history-making one for our team.”

He added: “It was a great year, an outstanding group to coach, and they’ve been outstanding all season. My coaching staff as well, often doing their work under duress as well. Some of them are part-time and give their all for the team, so a big thanks to my coaching staff.”