TECHNICAL STAFF

Named the eighth head coach of the Kickers on November 6, 2019, and later adding the title of Chief Sporting Officer on November 19, 2020, Darren Sawatzky has ushered in a new era for one of the most historic clubs in U.S. Soccer. 

Entering his seventh season with Richmond, Sawatzky looks to build on the culture created during his tenure. In his first season with the club, he led the team to an 8-6-2 record, the first winning record for the club in four years, and had the team in the hunt for the USL League One final heading into the final match of the season. Under his leadership, the club was able to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic without a single positive test. His scouting heading into his first season with Richmond found the 2020 USL League One MVP and Golden Boot winner, Emiliano Terzaghi. 

The Kickers made their first postseason appearance since the 2016 season during Sawatzky’s second season at the helm. The club finished with a second-straight winning record in the regular season as Terzaghi and Akira Fitzgerald led the team from either end of the pitch. Terzaghi won his second-straight MVP and Golden Boot award while Fitzgerald was named Goalkeeper of the Year. Both players finished as All-League First Team.

Sawatzky’s third season saw the Kickers earn the 2022 USL League One Players’ Shield for winning the regular season. The Kickers set the single-season goal-scoring record with 54 goals while producing five all-league selections including two MVP candidates in Terzaghi and Jonathan Bolanos. Terzaghi went on to win his third-straight MVP award becoming the first player in American men’s outdoor soccer history to do so.

Sawatzky made the cross-country move to Richmond after a campaign with USL League One side FC Tucson, bringing in experience with coaching in the league. This was the first professional season for Tucson, after serving as a USL League Two club for the previous seven years.

Before joining Tucson, Sawatzky made a name for himself in the coaching ranks within the Seattle Sounders FC system. He led the Seattle Sounders U23 USL League Two squad along with directing the Development Academy, producing talents such as current United States National Team players Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders) and DeAndre Yedlin (Galatasaray). During his time with the U23s, Sawatzky coached current Kickers center back Nathan Aune

Serving as an assistant coach in their final two USL seasons, Sawatzky served under current Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer. The club claimed the Commissioner’s Cup and the League Championship during his first season in 2007. 

The Seattle native also had a stint steering the Guam National Team, coaching former Kickers defender Alex Lee. 

He holds a USSF A License and a French Federation Formation license.

Starting his professional playing career in Major League Soccer, Sawatzky was drafted by the New England Revolution in 1996, playing two seasons before moving on to the Dallas Burn in 1998. He went on to sign with the Charleston Battery later that year. Sawatzky was back in MLS the next year with the Colorado Rapids. A year later, Sawatzky found himself back in his hometown, signing with the Seattle Sounders, then a USL Championship side.

The Richmond Kickers announced the hiring of Assistant Coach Brian Ownby on January 12, 2026.  A Glen Allen, Virginia native with deep ties to the club and an extensive professional and international playing résumé, Ownby returns to Richmond to begin the next chapter of his soccer journey on the technical staff. 

Ownby brings a wealth of experience at the highest levels of the game, both domestically and internationally. Stepping into a coaching role, Ownby brings firsthand experience from the MLS, USL, and international tournaments, along with a deep connection to Richmond and the Kickers community.

Ownby comes to City Stadium after retiring from professional soccer at the conclusion of the 2025 season, ending his career after nine years with Louisville City FC. He finished as Louisville City’s all-time assists leader with 37 between the USL Championship regular season and playoffs. He also ranked third on the club’s all-time scoring chart, fourth in games played and fifth in minutes played. Since signing with the club in 2017, Ownby helped Louisville City win two USL Championship titles (2017 and 2018) and two USL Championship Players’ Shields (2024 and 2025).

Ownby was selected in the 2012 MLS Supplemental Draft by Houston Dynamo FC, where he made 29 MLS appearances across three seasons. He gained valuable experience during loan stints throughout the professional pyramid, including impactful spells with the Richmond Kickers, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC and Reading United.
During his time with the Kickers, Ownby became a fan favorite. Initially joining the Kickers on loan during the 2013 season, he appeared in 21 matches, logging more than 1,500 minutes and contributing seven goals and seven assists to finish second on the team in points. Ownby returned to City Stadium for the 2015 and 2016 seasons, playing in over 40 matches. He tallied five goals and four assists over 14 appearances in 2015 before a season-ending injury. Ownby’s understanding of the club’s identity and style of play gives him a unique perspective as he transitions into coaching.

He starred at the University of Virginia, where he made 72 appearances, scoring 21 goals and adding ten assists over four seasons. His collegiate career was highlighted by a golden-goal strike in the NCAA College Cup national semifinal, earning him a place on the College Cup All-Tournament Team and helping propel the Cavaliers to the national final.

On the international stage, Ownby represented the United States at multiple youth levels, including the U-20 National Team at the FIFA U-20 World Cup, where he scored against Cameroon. His exposure to elite competition at a young age helped shape a professional career defined by versatility, work rate, and tactical awareness.

The Richmond Kickers announced the hiring of Goalkeeper Coach Evan Munn on January 17, 2024.

Munn joins the Kickers after serving on the Oregon State men’s soccer team’s coaching staff headed by Greg Dalby who led the Beavers to the NCAA Final Four during the Fall 2023 season. Munn worked directly with OSU’s standout goalkeeper Luis Castillo who enjoyed a career year between the pipes. Castillo was an All-PAC-12 First Team honoree while posting six shutouts and only allowing three goals in five postseason games.

Before serving on Dalby’s staff, Munn assisted the Bend Timbers FC’s goalkeeping director and coached girl’s teams from 2021-22. In 2021, he also coached at Philomath High School outside of Corvallis, Ore. when the Warriors claimed the Class 4A State Championship.

The Olympia, Wash. native reunites with Kickers’ Chief Sporting Officer and Head Coach, Darren Sawatzky after Sawatzky coached Munn throughout his youth playing career in the Seattle Sounders Academy where Sawatzky was the director of the academy.

Munn’s college career began at Tacoma Community College from 2015-16 where he was team captain and the team’s most valuable player in his freshman and sophomore seasons. During his sophomore year, the Titans finished as Northwestern Athletic Conference Champions while posting a 13-2-7 record. Munn earned seven clean sheets, made 103 saves, and assisted three goals.

His success at TCC earned him a roster spot at New Mexico University in Division I during his junior season where he redshirted. Following the end of the 2017 season, the Lobos discontinued their men’s soccer program, and Munn transferred to Oregon State to play for the Beavers. During his redshirt junior and senior seasons, Munn played alongside former Real Madrid youth keeper Adrián Fernández.

During the collegiate summer breaks, Munn again played for Sawatzky on the Seattle Sounders U23 team that competed in USL League Two further strengthening the pair’s relationship. Munn also played with U23 club side Tacoma Narrows FC (formerly South Sound FC) who won the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) 2018 Open Championship.