NPSL Alum Dominic Casciato Experiences Unprecedented Success at Union Omaha
Former NPSL head coach Dominic Casciato is a rising star in the coaching profession, and lots of people are taking notice.
In his two seasons at the helm of Union Omaha, Casciato has established the club as one of the winningest clubs in American professional soccer. His first year in Omaha saw the club hit their stride with a 14-match unbeaten streak to close out the regular season, leading them to the club’s second Players’ Shield for their first place standing. Casciato earned 2023 USL League One Coach of the Year honors for his leadership.
After an agonizing defeat in those 2023 playoffs, Casciato raised the bar for the 2024 season. A record-setting 2024 campaign saw Omaha put up the best goal differential in USL League One history, the most goals per game, and the second-most points per game. The result was a second straight Players’ Shield and a second straight Coach of the Year award for Casciato. This time Union Omaha went all the way in the playoffs to become the first USL League One club to win a second league championship.
“My two years at Omaha have been fantastic so far,” Casciato said. “Winning three trophies in my first two years as a head coach at the professional level is more than I could have dreamed of and I’m proud of our achievements and the style in which we’ve earned them. We are not finished yet though, and I’m looking forward to challenging for more silverware this season. The league is a very competitive one, and with expansion clubs coming in with fresh energy and considerable resources, the onus is on clubs like ourselves to lift our standards and continue to improve our on the field product every year.”
Omaha, Nebraska has become a hotbed of American soccer thanks to the success of the Owls.
“Omaha is a special place and the club has built a real rich history in a short space of time,” Casciato said. “We have one of the best ownership groups in the business, headed up by Gary Green, and he’s supported by a tremendous front office staff in Martie Cordaro, our president, and Alexis Boulos, our General Manager. Alongside that, we’ve got one of the best fan bases in the country, and our supporters have been exceptional since I arrived here in 2023. Their ability to mobilize the community and get behind the team has been impressive, and the support they’ve given me and my family since we moved here has meant the world to us.”
Casciato is no stranger to high-level soccer thanks to over 13 years of coaching experience in both the U.S. and Europe.
He came to Omaha after spending two seasons as an assistant coach for USL Championship side El Paso Locomotive FC. Brought on ahead of the 2021 season as an attacking coach, Casciato took El Paso from 21st to 5th in goals scored across the league and assisted the team to a Western Conference runner-up finish and Copa Texas Championship. He also served as the head coach for the USL Academy U-19 squad.
“At El Paso, I had the privilege of working with Mark Lowry who I learned so much from in terms of how to establish a playing style and bring ideas to life at a high level,” Casciato said. “I was also fortunate enough to work with some great experienced players such as Richie Ryan and Yuma, along with a top young talent in Diego Luna. You could tell Diego was destined for big things as soon as he stepped foot in the building so it’s no surprise to any of us to see what he’s gone on to achieve at RSL and with the national team.”
Before that, the London, England native spent time as an assistant coach for the New York Cosmos of National Independent Soccer Association and three years abroad at La Liga’s RCD Espanyol de Barcelona, coaching its academy and pre-academy teams. In his career, Casciato has also demonstrated an innate ability for scouting talent, working as a video scout for FC Midtjylland in Denmark and head of scouting with the Cosmos.
Perhaps the most transformative experience was his time with Brooklyn Italians SC, one of the leading youth clubs in the country.
“Brooklyn feels like home to me here in the U.S., and I loved my time with Brooklyn Italians – the club and the people in it will always have a special place in my heart and I look back on those days with great fondness,” Casciato said. “I started as the technical director there, working across all the different age groups within the club, before eventually taking on the NPSL team. That was a great challenge for me as we had a very competitive region – first you had Elm City and the NY Cosmos reserve team in our division back in 2017, and then the following two years we had to go up against the Cosmos first team after the collapse of the NASL. For us to secure three consecutive second place finishes was really impressive, and I think it served as a great apprenticeship for me becoming a head coach in USL1 a few years down the road. Building the roster, working on a schedule, managing a staff, and navigating the twists and turns of an intense season in the NPSL all stood me in really good stead for what I’ve experienced so far in Omaha.”
Leading the Italians into a prestigious competition like the U.S. Open Cup was truly special.
“One of the highlights from my time in the NPSL was knocking the Cosmos out of the Open Cup back in 2018, and although we never quite lifted the silverware we strived for, I think we can be very proud of the work we did with a bunch of local college kids,” Casciato said. “In 2018 we took the Cosmos to penalties in the conference final, and the following year we made the final again, losing to one of the best goals I’ve seen live – an Ansi Agolli volley on his weak foot from 30 yards out. We had told the players to not let him onto his left foot, and it had worked perfectly up until that moment with about ten minutes to go when we realized he could use his right foot too.”
The Cosmos, a former rival, would eventually become a home for Casciato.
“After competing against one another for a couple of seasons, Carlos Mendes called me to become his assistant at the Cosmos in 2020 when the club moved into NISA,” Casciato said. “Working for the Cosmos and with Carlos was a fantastic experience and a real dream come true for me, and I really don’t think that would have been possible without the NPSL giving me the platform to compete against him with Brooklyn Italians.”
Working for Mendes at one of America’s most iconic soccer clubs was a positive experience.
“I got to experience working with high level professionals like Ansi Agolli and Danny Szetela for the first time, along with getting a quick education on how turbulent the professional game can be,” Casciato said. “Working with Carlos Mendes was also a real pleasure – I always admired him as a player, but then getting to know him as a person – you won’t find a better man or better professional anywhere. I’ll always be grateful that he gave me the opportunity to work in the professional game for the first time and contribute a little bit towards his work at one of the most famous clubs in American soccer history.”
Casciato’s rise to the upper echelon of the coaching ranks has been nothing short of spectacular, and the future is even brighter.
Last month Casciato presented at the United Soccer Coaches Convention in Chicago, a coach teaching coaches. He has helped develop players all over the country, and now he is helping develop the next generation of great American coaches.
“It was a great experience presenting at the convention, and quite humbling to see so many people come to listen to some of my ideas about how to develop a game model and design exercises that bring it to life,” Casciato said.
2024 was a great year for this NPSL alum, and 2025 is shaping up to be even better. One thing is for certain: Dominic Casciato is a name to watch for and a name to remember.
Photo Credit: Trevor Hellman and Union Omaha
