Chris Leitch

Last updated

Chris Leitch
Chris Leitch.jpg
Leitch in 2017
Personal information
Date of birth (1979-04-01) April 1, 1979 (age 44)
Place of birth Pickerington, Ohio, United States
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Position(s) Defender
College career
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1997–2001 North Carolina Tar Heels
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2002 Columbus Crew 13 (0)
2002–2005 MetroStars 72 (0)
2006 Columbus Crew 24 (0)
2007–2008 New York Red Bulls 29 (0)
2009–2011 San Jose Earthquakes 58 (0)
Total196(0)
Managerial career
2017 San Jose Earthquakes
2021– San Jose Earthquakes (general manager)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of August 12, 2011

Chris Leitch (born April 1, 1979 in Pickerington, Ohio) is an American former soccer player who is currently the general manager and a former head coach [1] for the San Jose Earthquakes.

Contents

Career

College

Leitch played college soccer at the University of North Carolina, leading them to the NCAA Championship in 2001, setting a school record for games played (88) and starts (87).

Professional

Leitch was drafted by Columbus Crew in the fourth round of the 2002 MLS SuperDraft, but only played 13 games for his hometown team in his first professional season.

Leitch was traded to the MetroStars with Jeff Matteo for Ross Paule prior to the 2003 season. [2] He became a regular in the Metro lineup late in the year, playing in 15 games. He then became an automatic starter in 2004, playing every minute of all but a single game. Originally a right back, Leitch acquitted himself well on the left flank when the Metros needed help at that position. He switched back to the right flank in 2005. Despite being named the team's Defender of the Year, he was waived by the club in the offseason and then came back to Columbus. He appeared in 24 matches in the 2006 season for his hometown club.

Leitch matching up with Stuart Holden Holden vs Leitch.jpg
Leitch matching up with Stuart Holden

In the 2007 pre-season, Leitch was waived again, this time by the Crew as they sought to clear roster spots. He would return to the New York franchise, now New York Red Bulls, in July. The versatile defender appeared in 12 league matches for the club, starting 11. In 2008 Leitch appeared in 17 regular season matches. He helped the club reach the 2008 Western Conference Final, starting in both matches of the Red Bulls historic upset over defending champion Houston Dynamo (4-1 on aggregate). The following week he helped shut out Real Salt Lake 1-0 to help the Red Bulls reach the MLS Cup Final for the first time in club history.

Just prior to the start of the 2009 season on March 2, San Jose Earthquakes acquired Leitch in a trade with New York for an undisclosed sum of allocation money and one of the Earthquakes' eight international roster spots. [3] [4] Leitch had a career year with San Jose in 2009 appearing in 29 matches during the MLS regular season and contributing with 7 assists from his full back position.

Leitch remained with San Jose through the 2011 season. At season's end, the club declined his 2012 contract option and he entered the 2011 MLS Re-Entry Draft. Leitch was selected by Los Angeles Galaxy in stage two of the draft on December 12, 2011. [5] However, Leitch decided to retire rather than return for the 2012 season.

Coaching

On January 31, 2012, Leitch was named Technical Director for the San Jose Earthquakes Youth Development Academy. [6]

On August 10, 2015, he was promoted to Technical Director for the San Jose Earthquakes proper, including the first team as well as the Academy. [7]

On June 25, 2017, he was named the head coach of the Earthquakes, replacing Dominic Kinnear. [8] His coaching debut was San Jose's 2-1 victory over Seattle Sounders FC in the knockout round of the U.S. Open Cup on June 28, advancing the Earthquakes to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2012 while also achieving the team's first-ever victory over another MLS team during the Open Cup. [9] Leitch's first MLS match as head coach saw San Jose beat the LA Galaxy 2-1 at Stanford Stadium on July 1 off of a stoppage time winner from Shea Salinas. [10]

He was replaced as San Jose's head coach by Mikael Stahre on November 24, 2017, and thereafter returned to his former role as technical director. [11]

On November 8, 2021, he was promoted from technical director to general manager of the San Jose Earthquakes. [12]

Titles

SeasonTeamTitle
2002 Columbus Crew U.S. Open Cup
2008 New York Red Bulls MLS Western Conference (Playoffs)

Career statistics

Player

Club performanceLeagueCupLeague CupContinentalTotal
SeasonClubLeagueAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
United StatesLeague Open Cup League Cup North America Total
2002 Columbus Crew Major League Soccer 13020----150
2003 MetroStars Major League Soccer 1503020--200
2004 2901020--320
2005 28010----290
2006 Columbus Crew Major League Soccer 24020----260
2007 New York Red Bulls Major League Soccer 120--10--130
2008 1701040--220
2009 San Jose Earthquakes Major League Soccer 29010----300
2010 1501110--171
2011 140------140
TotalUnited States1960121100--2181
Career total1960121100--2181

Manager

TeamNatFromToRecord
GWDLWin %
San Jose Earthquakes Flag of the United States.svg 201720171772841.18
Total1772841.18
As of November 26, 2017

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References

  1. ↑ Earthquakes, Media Relations (November 24, 2017). "NEWS: Earthquakes Hire Mikael Stahre as Head Coach, Announce Additional Changes to Technical Staff". San Jose Earthquakes. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  2. ↑ "Crew signs midfielder Paule". USA Today. March 13, 2005. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
  3. ↑ "Earthquakes acquire defender Leitch," San Jose Earthquakes Media Relations, Monday, March 2, 2009. Archived January 19, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ↑ Almond, Elliott (March 2009), Quakes make a deal for defender , retrieved March 1, 2009
  5. ↑ "Stage 2 of Re-Entry Draft highlighted by busy Galaxy". MLS. December 12, 2011. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
  6. ↑ "Leitch to Oversee Academy". MLS. January 31, 2012. Archived from the original on July 13, 2012. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
  7. ↑ "Earthquakes Name Chris Leitch Technical Director". MLS. August 10, 2015. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
  8. ↑ Stejskal, Sam. "San Jose part ways with Dominic Kinnear, name Chris Leitch head coach". mlssoccer.com. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  9. ↑ "RECAP: Earthquakes Advance to U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinals with 2-1 Win". San Jose Earthquakes. Retrieved July 2, 2017.
  10. ↑ "RECAP: Earthquakes #BeatLA 2-1 in California Clasico". San Jose Earthquakes. Retrieved July 2, 2017.
  11. ↑ "Official: San Jose Earthquakes appoint Mikael Stahre as new head coach". MLSSoccer.com. November 24, 2017. Retrieved November 26, 2017.
  12. ↑ sjearthquakes. "NEWS: Earthquakes announce Chris Leitch as General Manager | San Jose Earthquakes". sjearthquakes. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
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