Sporting KC announces coaching staff ahead of the 2026 MLS season

Sporting Kansas City announced the club’s coaching staff today, with head coach Raphael Wicky leading a group of six first-team coaches in 2026.

Wicky is joined by fellow newcomers Edu Rubio and Dominic Kinnear, while Roger Espinoza and Ash Wallace return in their roles as assistant coaches. In addition, Darrin MacLeod has been promoted to Sporting KC’s first team goalkeeper coach after serving as the goalkeeper coach for Sporting KC II over the past five years.

Raphael Wicky
Head Coach

Announced earlier this month, Raphael Wicky is entering his first season as Sporting Kansas City’s head coach, pending receipt of his P1 visa. Wicky has extensive coaching experience both at the professional and youth levels while spending time in both the United States and Europe.

Wicky most recently led Swiss side BSC Young Boys to the Super League and Cup double in 2023, having also enjoyed success with fellow Swiss side FC Basel from 2017-2018. Wicky has also previously coached the U.S. Under-17 National Team (2019) and the Chicago Fire (2020-2021) in MLS.

The Switzerland native had an accomplished playing career, representing clubs such as FC Sion, Werder Bremen, Atletico Madrid, Hamburger SV and Chivas USA – winning six trophies in his playing days. Wicky also earned 75 caps for Switzerland, starting every match for his country at the 2006 FIFA World Cup while also appearing at the 1996 and 2004 UEFA European Championships.

Edu Rubio
Assistant Coach

New to Sporting KC in 2026, Edu Rubio joins the club as an assistant coach, pending receipt of his P1 visa.

The Spaniard most recently coached in the English Premier League, serving as an assistant manager at West Ham United (2024-2025) and Wolverhampton Wanderers (2022-2023) under manager Julen Lopetegui and as a coach at Crystal Palace (2020-2022) under the leadership of Patrick Vieira and Roy Hodgson.

Rubio cut his teeth at the English FA, Crawley Town and the Nike Academy while also gaining extensive experience at the youth level, coaching various academy teams in England and his native Spain at Chelsea FC, Valencia CF, Crystal Palace and MK Dons.

Dominic Kinnear
Assistant Coach

Dominic Kinnear joins Sporting KC as an assistant coach after departing Eastern Conference powerhouse FC Cincinnati at the conclusion of the 2025 season. Kinnear has coached in MLS for 25 years, including stops at the San Jose Earthquakes, the Houston Dynamo, the LA Galaxy and Cincinnati.

Kinnear enjoyed a 15-year playing career, ranging from his native Scotland to the United States and Mexico. Kinnear earned 54 caps for the U.S. Men’s National Team before ending his playing career in 2000 following a five-year stint in MLS with the Colorado Rapids, San Jose Clash and Tampa Bay Mutiny.

After starting his coaching career as an assistant with San Jose in 2001 and winning a pair of MLS Cups in 2001 and 2003, Kinnear was named San Jose head coach in 2004 and won an MLS Supporters’ Shield in 2005, culminating in MLS Coach of the Year honors.

Kinnear famously led Houston to the most successful period in the club’s history – serving as head coach from 2005-2014 and winning back-to-back MLS Cup titles in 2006 and 2007. Kinnear held various roles at the LA Galaxy from 2017-2020 before serving as an assistant with Cincinnati from 2022-2025, helping the team win their first Supporters’ Shield in 2023.

Roger Espinoza
Assistant Coach

Club icon Roger Espinoza is returning for his second year as an assistant coach with the Sporting KC first team. Following the conclusion of a decorated playing career, Espinoza joined the club as an assistant coach ahead of the 2025 campaign.

Espinoza enjoyed a phenomenal 16-year playing career highlighted by 14 seasons in Kansas City, from 2008-2012 and 2015-2023. He helped Sporting to three U.S. Open Cup titles and 10 appearances in the MLS Cup Playoffs as one of the most accomplished players in club history and one of the longest-serving midfielders in MLS. From 2013-2014, Espinoza had a two-year stint at English side Wigan Athletic in the English Premier League and Championship, helping the Latics to a famous 1-0 upset win over Manchester City in the 2013 FA Cup Final.

On the international stage, Espinoza played 52 times for Honduras from 2009-2017 and represented his country at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, the 2012 Summer Olympics in England and the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

Ash Wallace
Assistant Coach

Entering his 15^th season with the club, Ash Wallace returns as an assistant coach heading into the 2026 season. Wallace's first involvement with the club came in August 2012 when he was contracted to produce a detailed scouting report on the Seattle Sounders ahead of the U.S. Open Cup Final, helping Sporting claim their first of four major titles during a trophy-laden decade.

Prior to joining Sporting KC, Wallace was a member of the Preston North End coaching staff and served as an opposition scout for Fleetwood Town in his native England, while earning a Degree in Sports Coaching from the University of Central Lancashire.

Darrin MacLeod
Goalkeeper Coach

Making the leap to the first team in 2026, Darrin MacLeod joins the Sporting KC first team as the club’s goalkeeper coach after serving as the goalkeeper coach for SKC II (2021-2025) and the SKC Academy (2020) over the past six years. MacLeod has also worked with the U.S. Soccer Federation in the past, aiding with the development of the goalkeeping curriculum.

During his playing days, MacLeod made 10 appearances for SKC II in the USL Championship from 2017-2018. After departing Kansas City, MacLeod linked up with North Carolina FC for the 2019 season before returning to Kansas City in a coaching role in 2020.

Originally from Waterloo, Ontario in Canada, MacLeod trained with the academies of English Premier League club Newcastle United and Portuguese giants Sporting Lisbon as a youth player before playing collegiate soccer at Drake University in Iowa.