Darren Sawatzky enters his fifth year on the Sounders FC staff after serving as Assistant Coach the previous two seasons with the USL-1 Seattle Sounders. He is responsible for developing programs, in cooperation with other local soccer clubs, college programs, professional and semi-professional organizations in Washington State and with Washington Youth Soccer. The US Soccer Development Academy teams have qualified for playoffs three of four times while sending many Sounders Academy players to youth national teams, including Paul Christensen who is currently at residency with the U17 US National Team. Many current and former Academy players have appeared for the Sounders FC Reserve Team and continue to win accolades in NCCA programs, including the 2012 PAC-12 Freshman of the Year Aaron Kovar. Sawatzky is also the Head Coach of the Sounders FC U23 PDL team, who won the NW Division, the Western Conference Championship and made the national semifinals. The Sounders FC U23 side was honored with the USL Progress Award in 2012. Sawatzky’s programs help identify talent and create environments that help foster the growth of players below the first team to get to the highest level.

A former MLS player and member of the USL Seattle Sounders, Sawatzky was a four-year letterman at the University of Portland from 1991-94. After graduating from Portland in 1994 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Organizational Communication, Sawatzky played stints in MLS with the New England Revolution (1996-97), the Dallas Burn (1998) and the Colorado Rapids (1999). Sawatzky, a USSF “A” licensed coach, has five children, daughters, Kylie, Jordyn, and Kayla and sons, Skyler and Corey.