Sporting Kansas City announced today that the club has mutually agreed to part ways with interim head coach Kerry Zavagnin.
“Kerry is a Sporting Legend and his impact on this club is permanent,” Co-Principal Owner Michael Illig said. “For 26 seasons, he gave everything he had to Sporting both as a player and as a coach. His name hangs on the walls of our stadium because the standard he set is woven into the identity of this club. Through a difficult season and a major transition, he carried himself with the same steady presence that made him a Sporting Legend in the first place. Kerry has a real desire to stay on the field and continue coaching and we respect him immensely for that. He leaves with our full support and with genuine appreciation for everything he has meant to Sporting Kansas City.”
"I would like to thank Kerry for his enormous contributions to Sporting Kansas City across more than two decades,” said President of Soccer Operations and General Manager David Lee. “He has been a valuable asset since I joined the club, sharing his wisdom, experience and perspective which has helped me immensely. I am incredibly grateful for how he has approached the transition. On behalf of all of us at Sporting KC, we wish him the best of luck in the next chapter of his career, and we look forward to welcoming him back to Sporting games in the future.”
Zavagnin first arrived in Kansas City in 2000 as the 30th overall pick in the MLS SuperDraft and he would become an integral part of the club’s midfield for the next nine seasons, during which time he helped the Wizards lift the Supporters’ Shield (2000), MLS Cup (2000) and U.S. Open Cup (2004) trophies. He was named the team’s Defender of the Year in 2001 before earning MLS All-Star and MLS Best XI honors in 2004 as he led KC to the club’s second MLS Cup appearance.
Zavagnin’s playing career came to a close following the 2008 season when he retired as the club’s then all-time leader in games played (291), games started (281) and minutes played (25,278) across all competitions. In addition, Zavagnin made 21 appearances for the United States Men’s National Team from 2000-2006.
Zavagnin joined the team’s technical staff as an assistant coach in 2009 and helped transform Sporting KC into one of Major League Soccer’s most successful sides with three additional Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup championships (2012, 2015, 2017) and a second MLS Cup title (2013). His coaching tenure culminated as interim head coach for 28 games in the 2025 season following Peter Vermes’ departure in March.
Zavagnin, whose 26 consecutive seasons with SKC as a player and coach was the longest run with a single team in MLS history, has been involved in 951 of the club’s 1,127 matches all-time. He was inducted into the Sporting Legends hall of honor in 2016 when he was also named to the club’s 20th anniversary Best XI.
Sporting Kansas City is continuing the club’s search for a new head coach ahead of the 2026 Major League Soccer season, which begins Feb. 21. The 2026 MLS SuperDraft will be held on Dec. 18 with Sporting Kansas City holding the fourth selection in each of the three rounds and the team’s preseason campaign will feature trips to Palm Beach, Fla., from Jan. 11-31 and Palm Springs, Calif., from Feb. 3-14.
