The coach brings nearly a decade of experience developing and coaching at the pre-professional level
RICHMOND, Va. – The Richmond Kickers are pleased to announce that Conner Cappelletti has joined the Kickers’ technical staff as an assistant coach ahead of the 2023 USL League One season.
“Conner is a quick-thinking, hard-working coach with the ability to recognize talent and help nurture and develop that talent,” Richmond Kickers’ Chief Sporting Officer and Head Coach, Darren Sawatzky said. “He has great experience in USL League Two and his network of coaches and players is great.
“He understands the demands of the modern game, and his skill set aligns with where we are looking to go. As both a player and a coach, his competitive drive fits with the winning culture here. We needed a hungry, talented, and humble coach. Conner will hit the ground running, and we are happy he is with us.”
Cappelletti joins Sawatzky’s technical staff on the bench alongside goalkeeping coach, Akira Fitzgerald, director of player personnel, Raymond Smetanick, and athletic trainer, Rodrigo Perez. The 34-year-old from Kent, Wash. brings nearly a decade of experience coaching and developing pre-professional talent as well as playing experience at the collegiate, pre-professional, and national team levels.
“It was very exciting to have the conversation and be considered when Darren approached me about the opening assistant coach position,” Cappelletti said. “Coaching in the professional ranks is something I’ve always wanted to do.
“For a lot of reasons, Richmond is the right place for me and my family. I’ve known Darren for a while having played for him and coached against him, and I know what his values and standards are and I align with those. Having also talked to Rob [Ukrop] who shares those qualities, my family and I are excited to be a part of this community-focused organization.”
As a player, Cappelletti began his collegiate career at Wallace State playing during the 2007 and 2008 seasons and earning NJCAA All-Region honors in both his freshman and sophomore seasons before transferring to Division I school Valparaiso where he played from 2009-10.
The defender also simultaneously played at the pre-professional level with the Indiana Invaders in 2009 and Kansas City Brass in 2010 while at Valparaiso. After graduation, Cappelletti played at Rocket City United from 2011-12.
He would move to Eugene, Ore. to join Lane United FC – a former Premier Development League (PDL) side, now, USL League Two – in 2013 when it first formed and played exhibition matches to raise community awareness ahead of its inaugural season in 2014. During that inaugural season, Cappelletti moved into an assistant coach role and honed his style, spending the majority of his young coaching career there before stepping into the head coach role at Lane United for the 2019 season.
It was during this stretch of time that Cappelletti and Sawatzky would begin to build a relationship, first on opposite sides of the touchline as coaches in the PDL when Sawatzky coached Seattle Sounders U23, then, in 2016, Cappelletti earned a call-up to play for the Guam National Team while Sawatzky was the coach.
Now, both men are looking forward to that familiarity yielding positive results as the Kickers prepare to defend their 2022 USL League One regular-season title.
“Conner represented the Matao [Guam Men’s National Team] in qualifying while I was involved in the program,” Sawatzky said. “He also helped coach Lane United which my Sounders U23 team faced in USL League Two. His team-first, family-oriented approach fits perfectly with the culture we work to maintain in Richmond. We are very happy that he, Stacie, and their young family are choosing Richmond as a place to make their mark together in the community.”
After the 2019 season, the Cappelletti family moved from Euguene to Cincinnati for personal reasons with Cappelletti set to return to Oregon to coach during the 2020 League Two season, however, the season would be canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, he was able to return to Lane United FC again to serve as an assistant coach during the 2022 USL League Two season. The team finished third in the Northwest Division, and star player Duncan McGuire went on to be drafted sixth overall by Orlando City in the MLS SuperDraft.
While back in Oregon, Cappelletti also served as an assistant coach for both the men’s and women’s soccer teams at Willamette University. In his season with the men’s side, the team was ranked 25th in the nation, earning a 14-3-3 record before falling to the No. 2 University of Chicago Maroons in the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament.
Prior to joining the Kickers, Cappelletti helped North Alabama Soccer Coalition in Huntsville, Ala. begin to build the club’s foundation ahead of their upcoming inaugural USL League Two season. He was named the club’s assistant director of coaching and briefly took on the role of head coach before the opportunity to coach in the professional ranks presented itself.
“I know I’ve got some big shoes to fill coming in after Mika [Elovaara],” Cappelletti said. “I plan to come in and give everything 100 percent, and I want to pick up where he left off. With my experience, I know I can enhance the direction of this team. But, first and foremost, I plan to help the team maintain continuity heading into the preseason.”
Per club policy, the details of the contract will not be made public.
The 2023 season will be here before you know it and 2023 Season Tickets are on sale now! For a cost as low as $10 per match, Kickers fans can save the most with Season Tickets while unlocking exclusive perks and experiences. With one additional regular season match and two new opponents joining USL League One in 2023, City Stadium will be the place to be! Additional information can be found at richmondkickers.com/seasontickets.
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