Prior to his move to Panama, Stempel was a community outreach officer with London club Millwall. He enjoyed his greatest success as at club level in a four-year spell as manager of San Francisco, a Panamanian football club, during which he won five league titles and two championships with Panama Viejo.
It was during this time that he was also given charge of the Panama under-20 and under-23 teams. He qualified Panama to its first-ever U-20 World Cup in 2003.[5]
In 2007, he became manager of Salvadorian club Águila and in 2008 he was given the opportunity to take charge of the Panama national team. During his tenure as national team coach, Panama won the Central American Nations Cup in 2009. It was the first time Panama had won a major international championship.
After this success, he led the team to the quarter-finals at the 2009 Gold Cup.
In October 2019, Gary Stempel was awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire for his services to youth and sport in Panama.[citation needed]
Personal life
Stempel was born in Panama to a Panamanian father, and English mother. He moved to England at the age of 6, and remained there for 34 years holding UK citizenship, before moving back to coach San Francisco. He has an English-born wife and two daughters. [citation needed]