By SDCN Editor
San Diego, CA–The San Diego Legion announced the appointment of John Manenti as its new head coach.
According to San Diego Legion officials, Manenti brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of success in both 7s and 15s formats. Most recently, he served as the Head Coach of the Australian National Men’s Sevens team.
Manenti has been instrumental in achieving historical successes, including leading Australia to its first Sevens World Series victory in 2022 and securing automatic Olympic Rugby Sevens qualification for the first time in 2023. His coaching career is distinguished by stints with both men’s and women’s teams, where he consistently demonstrated his ability to recruit, develop, and retain talent, driving teams to consistent top performances.
“Returning to 15s rugby as the Head Coach of San Diego Legion is an exciting opportunity to apply my coaching philosophy and experience in a new environment. I am committed to building on the solid foundation here and leading the team to achieve our goal of winning the MLR Championship,” Manenti said.
Ryan Patterson, team owner of San Diego Legion, expressed his enthusiasm about Manenti’s appointment.
“Throughout the Head Coach recruitment process, John consistently stood out from an exceptionally talented field of candidates,” Patterson said. “His strategic vision for rugby, coupled with his demonstrated ability to elevate teams and foster winning cultures, left us deeply impressed. We are thrilled to welcome a coach of his caliber to San Diego Legion, confident in his expertise and dedication to lead our team to new successes.”
Manenti will relocate to San Diego to prepare the team for the upcoming season.
