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Sporting KC II announces new head coach

Istvan Urbanyi returns to Kansas City

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Istvan Urbanyi with Kaw Valley FC in 2019 | Credit: Thad Bell KC Soccer Journal

Sporting KC announced Istvan Urbanyi as the new head coach of Sporting Kansas City II on Thursday. It was also announced that Sporting KC II assistant coach Ike Opara and goalkeeper coach Darrin MacLeod are returning for the 2025 MLS NEXT Pro season.

This is not Urbanyi’s first stint with Sporting Kansas City. The Salgótarján, Hungary native was an Academy coach from 2014-2016 and a Talent Identification Director for the club from 2018-2020. Urbanyi was also on the coaching staff at UMKC and the head coach of Kaw Valley FC in 2018-19.

Urbanyi has a wealth of experience as a player (over 400 appearances) and coach over three continents. He played as a defender and midfielder for seventeen years in his home country before becoming the first Hungarian in Major League Soccer when he signed with the San Jose Clash in 1997. He also made a pair of appearances with the Hungary Men’s National Team in 1990.

He coached the U-16 and U-18 teams in the SKC Academy. One of those players was Daniel Salloi. After coaching with the SKC Academy, he moved back to Hungary and coached Hungarian club Gyirmot SE.

After Gyirmot he came back to Kansas City as an assistant with UMKC and the head coach for Kaw Valley, an expansion team in the Premier Development League. He then returned home to be the Sporting Director for Budapest Honvéd.

He becomes the fifth coach of SKC’s second team. Originally named the Swope Park Rangers with head coach Marc Dos Santos (2016) as the first head coach. He was followed by Nikola Popovic (2017), Paulo Nagamura (2018-2021) and most recently by Benny Feilhaber (2022-2024).

Urbanyi seems at home coaching young players and helping them develop. With a focus on bridging the gap between the Academy and the first team, while ensuring continuity in playing concepts, Urbanyi and staff will have their work cut out for them. All of their MLS NEXT Pro season matches will be played at Swope Park again.

Another challenge will be that Sporting KC II will be the entry in the 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

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