Union Omaha Names New Head Coach

The new era of Union Omaha is upon us and the man tapped to lead the charge is newly-appointed head coach Dominic Casciato.  As is typical with the club’s Tuesday tradition, Union Omaha announced the hiring on social media and received nothing but support from the masses.

Dominic “Dom” Casciato brings an abundance of experiences and excellence, both foreign and domestic.  Drawing from his experiences as an Academy Coach in Spain, a Video Scout in Denmark, a youth club director in New York, and numerous other technical positions at various professional clubs in the US, Casciato has done nothing but impress those around him each and every step of the way.

In the club’s announcement, Union Omaha General Manager Peter Marlette offered his share of sincere compliments toward Casciato.  “The search for our new head coach was exhaustive,” Union Omaha General Manager Peter Marlette said.  “The amount of highly qualified candidates who wanted this job was staggering and speaks to how attractive this club and USL League One are.  Dom came to us highly recommended by everybody who knows him and has worked with him.  His CV is great and throughout hours of interviews, he just kept impressing with his attention to detail, philosophies on the game, knowledge of the league and collaborative approach.  I’m thrilled with this hire and am confident that our fans will be too as they get to know more about Dom.”

Year	Other Accomplishment
–	Has coached over a dozen players who went pro, two of which play in the MLS
2009	Bachelor of Science – Exercise Science (Limestone University)
2012	Master of Professional Studies – Sports Management (Coaching for Optum Perofrmance)
2015	UEFA “B” License
2016	Named to NSCAA’s “30 Under 30”
2021	USSF “A” License
2022	UEFA “A” License

Casciato’s most recent stop in his 12 years of coaching was at USL Championship’s El Paso Locomotive, where he was hired as the Attacking Principles Coach / Assistant Coach.  In 2021, his first season with the club, El Paso finished in second place in the Western Conference and won the Copa Tejas Shield.  The team was able to increase their shot conversion from 14% to 18% and led the league in number of passes, as well as pass completion percentage.  When comparing the league’s rankings for goal scored, El Paso vaulted from 21st up to 5th in one season.  His immediate impact was obvious to the club, but he didn’t stop in his second year with the club.

	Shots/G	Goals/G	Conversion Rate	Passes/G	Passing Acc
2020	16.2	1.5	14%	559.9	81%
2021	13.2	1.75	18%	521.3	85%

In 2022, despite the club barely missing the playoffs, El Paso still ranked first in possession and pass completion percentage.  The club continued to rank highly in goals scored, averaging 1 goal every 54 minutes, good enough for 6th in the league.  Casciato bolstered the team’s offensive threats in other areas, too: 29% of the team’s goals were scored from dead-ball situations.  Not to be outdone on the offensive side of the field, the team only conceded 7% of their goals from set plays.  Casciato’s discipline was inspired and executed seemingly everywhere on the field.

With so many successes happening in El Paso, why did he jump at the opportunity to coach Union Omaha?  In an interview with 1620 AM’s “Mornings with Sharp & Handley,” Casciato was given the chance to explain himself.  “It’s a challenge I couldn’t turn down,” Casciato said.  “I felt ready to become a head coach and everything I’ve come to know about the club and everything everybody says about the club – it’s one of the top League One clubs, so for me it was a challenge I couldn’t turn down.”

In Union Omaha’s press release, Casciato issued a long statement, filled with recognition to those involved in the hiring process.  “I’d like to start by saying thank you to Gary Green, Larry Botel, Martie Cordero and Peter Marlette for giving me the opportunity to lead the club as we move into a new era for Union Omaha,” Casciato said.  “There’s been a great foundation laid here over the last three years, and I’m looking forward to the challenge of building on that as we enter the 2023 season.  My wife and I are excited to integrate ourselves into the Omaha community, and I can’t wait to experience the great atmosphere our fans will create on March 26th against Forward Madison!”

Union Omaha owner Gary Green included a statement in the press release, as well.  “We’re excited to welcome Dom to Union Omaha,” Union Omaha Owner Gary Green said.  “I know that he will be a great addition to our club and to our community.  We’re lucky to have Dom and look forward to the club’s future with him as head coach.”

What style can Búhos Nation expect for Casciato?  In the same radio interview with “Sharp & Handley,” he revealed a few nuggets of what fans can expect to see throughout the season.  “I think, first and foremost, we want to dominate the game and we want to try to dominate the game with the ball by dominating possession and playing forward with a purpose and with quality,” Casciato said.  “And without the ball, we want to dominate it by being super organized and not letting the opposition settle.”

Later in the same interview, Casciato revealed some more traits of his style.  “You’re going to see a team that never gives up, that never knows when it’s beaten, and is going to give everything for the shirt and the city,” Casciato said.  “And I think if we do that, win, lose, or draw, the fans are going to be happy and they’re going to know they have a team on the field that represents them and their city.”

As he steps into his new role, he remains committed to Union Omaha’s quest to find and develop talent.  When answering a separate question, Casciato disclosed another motivation behind wanting to coach Union Omaha.  “I think one of the things that really made the job attractive to me was the club’s desire to continue to develop players and help them move on because that’s something I’m passionate about and something I think is a strength of mine,” Casciato said.

When asked directly about scouting, he had another response that should make Union Omaha fans happy.  “I think scouting is a huge part of the job of being a head coach when you’re in the USL,” Casciato said.  “…I think the scouting piece is huge for us.  There’s a  good strong core of returning players coming in.  Hopefully we’ll convince one or two more to come back and then we’re well on our way to bringing in some new faces as well to hopefully have us competing from day one.”

With the exciting announcement, Union Omaha’s 2023 season draws that much closer.  There’s bound to be more press releases, signings, and news coming from the club, so hit that “subscribe” button to avoid missing out on any updates from your favorite club.  Don’t forget to follow Who Gives A Hoot on social media for more great content, as well.  As always…¡Viva Búhos!