RICHMOND, Va. – The Richmond Kickers announced on Tuesday the club’s longtime Head Coach, Leigh Cowlishaw, had stepped down from his coaching role after 19 seasons at the helm. The longest-tenured Head Coach in the USL, Cowlishaw coached his 560th and final match this past Saturday in a 1-1 draw against the Charlotte Independence at City Stadium and reached his 276th win as head coach with a 2-0 victory against perennial rivals Charleston Battery two weeks prior.

Cowlishaw will remain an integral member of the Kickers staff, shifting his full-time focus towards his role as Director of Soccer.

“I am sincerely grateful to the Richmond Kickers Board of Directors for affording me the opportunity to step away from my coaching duties and focus solely on my Director of Soccer position,” said Cowlishaw. “In recent years, the Kickers have experienced unprecedented growth and it has been my desire for some time to shift my attention to areas where I can have the biggest impact on the organization. I am looking forward to new challenges as we continue to strive to make the Kickers the number one sports experience in Richmond.”

Having previously joined the Kickers as a player during the club’s inaugural season in 1993, Cowlishaw assumed the role of head coach in 2000. He has amassed an overall record of 276 wins, 156 losses, and 128 draws, leading the Kickers to 13 consecutive playoff berths (2004-2016). Under his guidance, the Kickers have qualified for postseason play 15 times, reaching the title match in 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010, while earning the Regular Season Championship title on four occasions (2001, 2006, 2007 and 2013) and claiming the league crown twice (2006 and 2009).

“Leigh has been a wonderful ambassador for our club both on the field and in the community,” said Rob Ukrop, Richmond Kickers President, Board of Directors. “Since 1993, his vision and leadership have helped shape the Richmond Kickers into the model for soccer in the United States. Leigh has had an incredible run as our First Team coach, and we look forward to honoring him later this season where our amazing fans can recognize Leigh's coaching achievements.”