The 2025 NWSL Shield-winning Kansas City Current announced Friday that Vlatko Andonovski, who served as head coach and sporting director since October 2023, will transition into a new role as the club’s global sporting director. The Current will immediately begin the search for its next head coach, while Andonovski will continue in his role as head coach until a successor is named.
At the same time, the Current announced that Ryan Dell has been promoted to general manager, effective immediately, after joining Kansas City as the head of soccer operations in December 2024. Dell replaces Caitlin Carducci, who had served as general manager since November 2024. Both Dell and Andonovski will report to ownership.
The moves are part of the club’s “long-planned staffing model consisting of an expanded technical leadership structure” that features separate executives occupying each of the roles of sporting director, head coach and general manager. They believe this is what is necessary to realize the vision of being the best women’s soccer club in the world.
“To continue the club’s upward and global trajectory, we must put in place an organizational structure that reflects the growth of what we’re doing within the KC Current ecosystem and beyond,” Current co-owners Angie and Chris Long said in a statement. “These changes will allow us to further carry out our mission of staying at the forefront of women’s soccer globally.”
As sporting director, Andonovski will be responsible for player recruitment, roster strategy, scouting, and working with the head coach and head of player development (a newly formed role) “to implement the long-term vision for the club’s technical and athletic success.” As general manager, Dell will continue to oversee soccer operations and youth development while additionally managing the salary cap, contract negotiations and player transfers.
After a disappointing end to his tenure as the head coach of the U.S. women’s national team, Andonovski joined the Current and led a miraculous turnaround in 2024. The team went from a second-to-last-place finish in 2023 to a record-setting 2024 season and NWSL Semifinal appearance. Kansas City set NWSL records for most goals scored (57) and most goal scorers (18) in a single season in regular-season play, also winning The Women’s Cup and the inaugural NWSL x Liga MX Feminil Summer Cup. The team concluded the 2024 regular season fourth on the table and advanced to the NWSL semifinal, its second-ever appearance in the NWSL Playoffs.
Andonovski’s team continued to set more records in 2025 on their way to the Current’s first-ever NWSL Shield, the fastest team to ever clinch the honor as they did so with five regular-season games remaining. The club set NWSL regular season records for points (65), wins (21), home wins (11), road wins (10), clean sheets (16), consecutive shutouts minutes (869), consecutive shutouts (9), shutouts at home (8), multi-goal wins (15), multi-goal games (18), fewest minutes trailing (109) and fewest goals conceded (13). However, their season ended prematurely in the first round of the NWSL Playoffs with a 1-0 extra-time loss to Gotham FC.
“We are thrilled to have someone of Vlatko’s stature and experience step into this critical role and lead the technical side of our organization as we grow our platform and global footprint,” said Angie and Chris Long. “These conversations started before we hired Vlatko and have been part of the bigger picture ever since. From youth development to the first team, his long-term vision for the club will help us continue the relentless momentum the organization has displayed since day one.”
The transition to sporting director keeps Andonoski in a city that has become home to him. He coached FC Kansas City from 2013-2017 when the team folded, and served as both a player and coach to the professional indoor soccer team Kansas City Comets.
“Kansas City is, and always will be, home,” said Andonovski in a statement. “It’s vital to move into this role to keep growing this club with the aim of being a perennial contender on the global stage and a top developer of talent. From world-class soccer to the first stadium in the world purpose-built for a women’s team to the best fans in the country, I am proud of what has been built here in the city that means so much to me. The potential is limitless for this club, the foundation for further success has been laidand the best is yet to come.”
