Sporting KC II Hire Lee Tschantret as New Coach

Sporting Kansas City II have hired Lee Tschantret as their new head coach for the 2026 MLS Next Pro season. Tschantret had previously been the SKC Academy U-18 head coach and has extensive coaching experience under his belt.

The Tschantret name is not new to anyone familiar with Kansas City soccer. He guided the Kansas City Attack to the 1997 National Professional Soccer League (indoor) championship. That was the final year Lee played for the Attack and just a blip on his extensive pro career.

“We are excited for Lee to lead SKC II and provide the driving force of a critical part of our player development pathway,” President of Soccer Operations & General Manager David Lee said. “His quality of work at the Academy has been outstanding and his familiarity with our up-and-coming talent will serve him well in his new role. We are also delighted to complete a strong and committed SKC II coaching staff with Luis and Carlos, and this opportunity is reward for their years of hard work and dedication to the club. Academy Director Declan Jogi has done an excellent job in identifying and developing these three talented coaches who have earned the opportunity to step into the professional game.”

After playing collegiately for the Albany Great Danes, Lee moved around the indoor soccer scene playing for numerous teams and also put in time in the outdoor game. His most famous stop in indoor is probably the Baltimore Blast, where he played over 200 games and scored 171 goals.

He also played in the 2004 Indoor World Cup for the United States National Futsal team.

Outside of playing and his recent job coaching in the SKC Academy, Lee has been coaching and in administrative roles for the last 20 plus years. He has run leagues, academies and clubs. He also was an assistant for the United States U-18 Men’s National Team.

His last name may stand out to eagle eyed Sporting KC fans as well. His son, Cielo, recently signed a first team contract with Sporting KC following the conclusion of the 2025 MLS season. Before that, Cielo played for SKC II and captained the team through their 2025 MLS Next Pro season. It’s likely Lee and Cielo may be spending a lot of time together this year if Cielo is loaned down to the IIs.

Lee Tschantret becomes the sixth permanent head coach in SKC II/Swope Park Rangers history. Lee replaces Ike Opara, who was the interim coach after Istvan Urbanyi parted ways during the Wooden Spoon ‘winning’ 2025 season.

Sporting KC II play their first game later this month, on February 28th.

The 2026 SKC II regular season schedule is here!⤵️

🗓️https://t.co/ggUSnGgydy#SportingKC | @MLSNEXTPRO pic.twitter.com/PXznnannnq

— SKCII (@SportingKCII) January 21, 2026

Assistant Coaches

The team also announced the addition of assistant coach Luis Pacheco and goalkeeper coach Carlos Ortiz. Pacheco is the U-15s Academy head coach and has been with the Academy since 2017. Ortiz has been part of the SKC Academy since 2024 and replaces Darren MacLeod, who was promoted to first team GK coach.

Updated at 2:37 with David Lee quote and the news of Tschantret’s assistant coaches.