KANSAS CITY, Mo. — After more than 26 seasons with Sporting KC, Kerry Zavagnin and the club are parting ways.
The club made the announcement Tuesday morning.
Milchael Illig, Sporting KC co-principal owner, praised Zavagnin for giving everything he had to the club both as a player and a coach.
"His name hangs on the walls of our stadium because the standard he set is woven into the identity of this club," Illig said in a statement Tuesday. "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."
Zavagnin arrived in Kansas City in 2000 as the 30th overall pick in the MLS SuperDraft.
He helped the Wizards lift the Supporters Shield in 2000, the MLS Cup in 2000, and the U.S. Open Cup in 2004. He was named the defender of the year in 2001 before earning MLS All-Star and MLS Best XI honors in 2004. His 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.
Zavagnin made 21 appearances for the United States Men's National Team from 2000-2006.
His coaching tenure culminated as interim head coach for 28 games in the 2025 season following Peter Vermes' departure in March.
Sporting Kansas City is continuing with the search for a new head coach ahead of the 2026 Major League Soccer season, with begins Feb. 21.
The MLS SuperDraft will be held Dec. 18 with Sporting Kansas City holding the fourth selection in each of the three rounds.
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