Brian Schmetzer

Brian Thomas Schmetzer, born on August 18, 1962, is an American soccer coach and a former professional player. He is best known as the head coach of the Seattle Sounders FC in Major League Soccer (MLS). Before becoming the head coach, Schmetzer served as an assistant coach for the team until 2016, when the previous head coach left.

Schmetzer has a strong history with Seattle soccer. He coached the Seattle Sounders in the USL First Division for seven seasons and won two championships there. As a player, he competed in several leagues, including the North American Soccer League, Major Indoor Soccer League, and Western Soccer League, playing for different Seattle teams.

Since taking over as head coach of the Sounders, Schmetzer has led the team to many successes. The team has won two MLS Cups, the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League, and the 2025 Leagues Cup under his leadership. His work has helped make the Seattle Sounders one of the top teams in soccer.

Early life

Brian Schmetzer was born and grew up in Seattle. He went to Nathan Hale High School. His father, Walter, taught him to play soccer. Walter coached a youth team called the Lake City Hawks and helped them win many state championships. Walter came from Germany and played soccer there before moving to the United States in 1962. He opened a sports store in Lake City. Walter helped Brian love soccer, and Brian became a great player in his youth and high school years.

Professional career

After finishing high school, Brian Schmetzer decided not to go to college and joined the Seattle Sounders of the North American Soccer League in June 1980. He started with the team’s reserve squad and later played in the indoor season. His first professional appearance was in a special match against Celtic in 1981. He played a few games in 1982 and became a regular player in 1983, scoring his first goal on June 25, 1983, in a 2–0 win over the San Diego Sockers. Sadly, the Sounders team ended that same year.

When the Sounders stopped playing, Schmetzer joined the Tulsa Roughnecks for a short time before moving to the San Diego Sockers. The Sockers played in the Major Indoor Soccer League and won many championships. Schmetzer helped the team win titles for three years in a row. Later, he played for F.C. Seattle and then the Tacoma Stars, where he began coaching while still playing. He also played for the St. Louis Storm before retiring in 1991 after playing 415 games and scoring 67 goals. He briefly came back to play for the new Seattle Sounders in 1994 and then the Seattle SeaDogs in 1995.

Coaching career

Brian Schmetzer began his coaching journey as a player-assistant coach with the Tacoma Stars and later became a dedicated assistant coach for the Seattle SeaDogs in the Continental Indoor Soccer League in 1995. Although the league stopped after three seasons, the SeaDogs won the championship in its final year, 1997. Schmetzer then spent some years coaching youth soccer with the Emerald City Football Club and also managed a construction business.

In 2001, Schmetzer became the head coach of the Seattle Sounders after their first coach was let go. In his first season, the team had a great record, and Schmetzer was named Coach of the Year. He led the Sounders to two championships in the USL First Division and reached the championship game in 2004 and 2005.

Schmetzer later joined Seattle Sounders FC in Major League Soccer as an assistant coach. When the head coach left in 2016, Schmetzer became the interim head coach and was later named permanent head coach. Under his leadership, the Sounders won the MLS Cup in 2016 and again in 2019. Schmetzer also led the team to win the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League Final and the 2025 Leagues Cup. He reached his 100th MLS win in 2023, making him one of the fastest coaches to achieve this milestone in league history.

Coaching record

As of 16 May 2026

1.**^Team dissolved
2.^Interim as assistant coach; later promoted to head coach
3.^**Includes league, U.S. Open Cup, playoffs, Leagues Cup, CONCACAF Champions League, and FIFA Club World Cup matches.

Personal life

Brian Schmetzer lives in Seattle with his wife Kirstine. They have six children and several grandchildren.

Honors

Player

San Diego Sockers (MISL)

• Major Indoor Soccer League Championship (3): 1984–85, 1985–86, 1987–88

Coach

Seattle Sounders (USL)

• USL: (/wiki/2005_United_Soccer_Leagues), (/wiki/2007_United_Soccer_Leagues)
• Commissioner's Cup: (/wiki/2002_USL_A-League), 2007
• USL A-League Western Conference: (/wiki/2004_USL_A-League)
• USL A-League Pacific Division: (/wiki/2002_USL_A-League#Pacific_Division), (/wiki/2003_USL_A-League#Pacific_Division)
• Cascadia Cup: 2006, 2007

Seattle Sounders FC (as assistant coach)

• U.S. Open Cup: (/wiki/2009_U.S._Open_Cup), (/wiki/2010_U.S._Open_Cup), (/wiki/2011_U.S._Open_Cup), (/wiki/2014_U.S._Open_Cup); runner-up: (/wiki/2012_U.S._Open_Cup)
• Supporters' Shield: (/wiki/2014_Major_League_Soccer_season); runner-up: (/wiki/2011_Major_League_Soccer_season)
• Cascadia Cup: 2011, 2015

Seattle Sounders FC

• CONCACAF Champions Cup: (/wiki/2022_CONCACAF_Champions_League)
• MLS Cup: (/wiki/MLS_Cup_2016), (/wiki/MLS_Cup_2019); runner-up: (/wiki/MLS_Cup_2017), (/wiki/MLS_Cup_2020)
• Western Conference: (/wiki/2016_MLS_Cup_Playoffs), (/wiki/2017_MLS_Cup_Playoffs), (/wiki/2019_MLS_Cup_Playoffs), (/wiki/2020_MLS_Cup_Playoffs)
• Leagues Cup: (/wiki/2025_Leagues_Cup); runner-up: (/wiki/2021_Leagues_Cup)
• Cascadia Cup: 2018, 2019, 2021