The club continues its mission with Sawatzky at the helm to develop a modernized player pathway for sustainability and to compete for championships
RICHMOND, Va. – The Richmond Kickers are pleased to announce that Chief Sporting Officer and Head Coach Darren Sawatzky has signed a new multi-year extension as the club builds upon its championship culture with a continued emphasis on youth development and sustainability.
Sawatzky, the eighth head coach in the Kickers’ 31-year history, first joined the club ahead of the 2020 season. Since moving to Richmond, Sawatzky has reset the culture, fulfilling a promise to win hardware in his first three years as head coach, leading the Kickers to the 2022 USL League One Players’ Shield. He was named 2022 USL League One Coach of the Year at the conclusion of the season. Sawatzky has welcomed the additional challenge of creating a modernized player pathway, developing young players through first-team integration, while building a competitive foundation that prepares the club for long-term success.
In the last year, the club has signed three local teenagers to their first professional contracts after playing on USL Academy contracts. Landon Johnson of Chesterfield and Beckett Howell of Glen Allen both signed in Fall of 2023 before Griffin Garnett of Richmond City signed in August 2024. The club has featured other local players on USL Academy contracts including Damian Gallegos (2021), Ty Johnson (2021), Gabe Cox (2023, 2024), Nicholas Simmonds (2023, 2024), James Sneddon (2023, 2024), and Noah Hiort-Wright (2024).
In the Fall of 2023, the Kickers created their first academy team, the Richmond Kickers U20s which competes in the USL Academy. In their first team event at the USL Academy Cup this past March, the squad found success, finishing as finalists following a hard-fought 1-0 loss in the championship to perennial Academy powerhouses Indy Eleven. Currently, Kickers U20 are 6-1-0 in the USL Academy League and in first place in the South Atlantic Division over USL Championship side North Carolina FC. The Kickers U20s’ next match is at City Stadium on Wednesday, August 14 against VA United.
Young professionals developed under Sawatzky have also moved on to higher levels of the sport. Ethan Bryant who was named 2022 USL League One Young Player of the Year was transferred to Sporting Kansas City of MLS for an undisclosed fee while Jonathan Bolanos who was a 2022 MVP candidate and 2022 Assists Champion earned a contract at Huntsville City FC – a direct affiliate to Nashville SC of MLS.
Sawatzky’s scouting network has brought All-League caliber players to the River City including three-time USL League One Golden Boot winner Emiliano Terzaghi who was named USL League One MVP in 2020, 2021, and 2022, becoming the only player ever in American men’s outdoor soccer to be named MVP in three consecutive seasons.
In addition, goalkeeper Akira Fitzgerald (2021), defender Jalen Crisler (2022), Bolanos (2022), and midfielder Nil Vinyals (2023) all earned All-League First Team honors while playing for Sawatzky.
Prior to joining the Kickers, the Seattle, Wash. native served as the assistant coach under Seattle Sounders Head Coach Brian Schmetzer during their final seasons in the USL before taking the helm of the club’s U23 team and directing the development academy. Under Sawatzky’s tenure, the Sounders produced professional talents like United States Men’s National Team players DeAndre Yedlin, who transferred to Tottenham Hotspur FC for $4 million, and Jordan Morris, who has featured for the Sounders’ first team for nearly a decade and ranks third all-time in goals scored for the club.
Rob Ukrop, Richmond Kickers’ Chairman and Chief Executive Officer said:
“We are excited to extend Darren’s contract as we work together to strengthen our foundation for long-term success in USL League One. As the soccer landscape continues to evolve across the US, our club will continue to bring in top professionals like Emiliano Terzaghi, Nil Vinyals, Zaca Moran, and Adrian Billhardt, but we also recognize the importance of developing young talents like Beckett Howell, Griffin Garnett, and Landon Johnson so we can hunt for trophies every year. We admire the work Darren does, getting the best out of our young players and our veterans. We look forward to a bright future as we begin our playoff push in Greenville.”
Darren Sawatzky, Richmond Kickers’ Head Coach and Chief Sporting Officer said:
“I am grateful for the opportunity here in Richmond to work at this storied club with great people. With Rob and Mika, we are working to build a modern professional club that develops local talent, signs them into the first team, and then moves them on to higher levels with both a financial benefit and a long-term sustainable goal. Conner, Evan, and Ridi are great additions with this goal in mind, and Camp and the front office are crushing the game day experience. We have the best gameday atmosphere in USL League One with Drew, Tom, and their crews. We want to win trophies and we want to do it with both high-level veteran players, and the young guns we are helping develop. We also want the longest continuously-running professional club in the United States to keep that moniker for years to come. Adding all of these pieces together in the Richmond Kickers professional soccer club, the future is exciting as we fight through the challenges of taking on this modern approach.”
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