Nathan Thackeray

Nathan Thackeray (born February 14, 1988) is an English association football coach who is the acting head coach of the North Carolina Courage of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).

Nathan Thackeray

Thackeray with the North Carolina Courage in 2025
Personal information
Date of birth	(1988-02-14) February 14, 1988 (age 37)
Place of birth	Burnley, England
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team	North Carolina Courage (acting head coach)
College career
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2006–2010	William Woods Owls
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2003–2006	Bradford City
2011	Corby Town
Managerial career
2011–2012	Young Harris Mountain Lions Assistant/goalkeeping coach
2012–2016	Houston Dynamo Academy Head of goalkeeping
2016–2020	North Carolina FC Youth Director of goalkeeping
2017–	North Carolina Courage Assistant/goalkeeping coach
2021–2023	North Carolina Tar Heels Assistant coach
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Playing career

After playing for Bradford City in his native England, Thackeray moved to the United States to attend William Woods University in Missouri, where he played for the William Woods Owls.^[1] He also played for the Kalamazoo Outrage and the St. Louis Lions during college.^[2] He graduated from William Woods in 2010, receiving a bachelor's degree in communications and media studies.^[3]

Coaching career

After college, Thackeray moved into coaching as the men's and women's goalkeepers coach at Young Harris College in Georgia in 2011.^[4] The following year, he became the head of goalkeeping at the Houston Dynamo FC Academy, where he spent four seasons.^[3] He also coached the Houston Aces when he was there.^[5]

Thackeray became the director of goalkeeping for North Carolina FC Youth (then called CASL) in 2016.^[6] He soon added an assistant coach role with the North Carolina Courage when the team was established in 2017, joining the coaching staff under Paul Riley.^[6] In their first three seasons, the Courage won three NWSL Shields and two NWSL Championships.^[5] He assumed the assistant coach role full time in 2021.^[5] Following two consecutive NWSL Challenge Cup titles, he signed a contract extension in 2024.^[4] He was also an assistant coach for the North Carolina Tar Heels women's soccer team between 2021 and 2023.^[4]

Thackeray became acting head coach for the Courage in August 2025 after head coach Sean Nahas was fired midseason.^[7] He had previously filled the role in Nahas's absence on several occasions.^[8]