Darrin MacLeod has been named Sporting Kansas City II goalkeeper coach ahead of the 2021 USL Championship season, the club announced today. MacLeod, who played for Sporting II from 2017-2018, joins the club’s USL Championship staff after Mitch Hildebrandt departed the club at the conclusion of the 2020 season.
MacLeod, 26, has been coaching goalkeepers in the Sporting KC Academy since January 2020 and will complete his C-License through the U.S. Soccer Coaching Education program prior to the start of the 2021 USL Championship season.
During his playing career, MacLeod made 10 appearances with Sporting II across two seasons in 2017 and 2018. He posted two clean sheets on his way to recording a 4-3-3 record. MacLeod’s most notable performance with Sporting II came in the 2017 USL Cup Playoffs, where he saved one penalty as SKC II defeated Phoenix Rising FC 4-2 on penalty kicks in the Western Conference Quarterfinals.
After departing Kansas City, MacLeod linked up with North Carolina FC in the USL Championship for the 2019 campaign, playing seven games and recording three shutouts. MacLeod announced his retirement from professional soccer at the end of the 2019 season.
Originally from Waterloo, Ontario in Canada, MacLeod played collegiate soccer at Drake University in Iowa. Following a four-year career, MacLeod departed Drake as the all-time leader in saves (308), shutouts (19), wins (33) and games played (76). He was named Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Week on four occasions throughout his college career.
MacLeod also represented K-W United FC and the Toronto FC Academy in USL League Two play during his college career.
As a youth player, MacLeod trained with the Academies of English Premier League club Newcastle United and Portuguese giants Sporting Lisbon.
