Before it led him to Kansas, Kaw Valley FC Head Coach István Urbányi’s soccer career took him all over the world. After playing professionally for nearly 20 years in his native Hungary, he first made his way stateside when he signed for the San Jose Clash in the early years of Major League Soccer.

When he hung up his boots as a player, Urbányi embarked on a coaching career that has included stops with Hungarian giants Újpest and the Maldives national team. He reunited with Sporting Kansas City Head Coach Peter Vermes, his friend and former teammate, in 2014 and has since been an integral part of the vaunted SKC youth system. Urbányi helped bring fellow Hungarian talents Krisztián Németh and Dániel Sallói to Sporting KC, and was named the MLS club’s Director of Talent Identification in January 2019 in addition to his role as Head Coach and Technical Director with Kaw Valley in League Two.

“It is a good and necessary reminder for me to not only focus on the result of the next game and the current season, but to consider the bigger picture and create an environment where players are able to play from the best ability,” said Urbányi on how his dual role helps him as a coach. “I help them maximize their potential because only players that are able to perform true to their potential have the chance to get on Sporting’s or others’ radar.”

Three players from the inaugural Cranes squad coached by Urbányi in 2018 signed professional contracts the following offseason: Tucker Stephenson with Swope Park Rangers of the USL Championship, Santiago Restrepo with Arsenal F.C. Roatan in the Honduran Liga de Ascenso and Eric McWoods with JK Narva Trans in the Estonian top flight.