Brian Kamler (born February 12, 1972) is an American
soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
coach and former player who is currently the technical director for Wisconsin United FC, a youth affiliate of
Minnesota United FC
Minnesota United Football Club, often shortened to MNUFC, is an American professional Association football, soccer club based in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the W ...
. As a player, he played two seasons in the
USISL
The United States Interregional Soccer League (USISL) was a semi-professional men's outdoor soccer league that played six seasons from 1989 to 1994. It was the first outdoor league to be operated by the organization known today as the United ...
, winning the
1995 U.S. Open Cup and league titles with the
Richmond Kickers
Richmond Kickers is an American professional soccer club based in Richmond, Virginia. The Kickers compete as a member of USL League One (USL1). The club was established in 1993, and began play that same year as a United States Interregional S ...
, and ten seasons in
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional Association football, soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanc ...
.
Youth
Kamler grew up in St. Louis, playing in local YMCA, church and club leagues as a boy. In 1984, he joined the Anheuser Busch club which won the 1988 and 1989 D.J. Niotis Cup (U-16 National Championship). He attended
Parkway West High School in
Chesterfield, Missouri
Chesterfield is a city in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. It is a western suburb of St. Louis. As of the 2020 census, the population was 49,999, making it the state's 14th most populous city. The broader valley of Chesterfield was ...
where he was part of a state championship soccer team his freshman season. In 1991, he entered
Creighton University
Creighton University () is a private research university in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1878, the university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. In 2015 the university enrolled 8,393 graduate ...
where he was a multi-position player until 1993. He was a 1991 second team, a 1992 second team and a 1993
first team All American. Creighton inducted Kamler into the school's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002.
Professional
In 1994, Kamler left Creighton and signed with the expansion
St. Louis Knights in the
USISL
The United States Interregional Soccer League (USISL) was a semi-professional men's outdoor soccer league that played six seasons from 1989 to 1994. It was the first outdoor league to be operated by the organization known today as the United ...
. In 1995, he moved to the
Richmond Kickers
Richmond Kickers is an American professional soccer club based in Richmond, Virginia. The Kickers compete as a member of USL League One (USL1). The club was established in 1993, and began play that same year as a United States Interregional S ...
, which won the league and
1995 U.S. Open Cup titles. In February 1996,
D.C. United selected Kamler in the 6th round of the
1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft
The MLS Inaugural Player Draft, held before Major League Soccer's initial 1996 season, distributed players to the league's ten inaugural teams. The Inaugural Player Draft occurred on February 6 and 7, 1996 after each team was allocated four marqu ...
. He played three and a half seasons with DC before being shipped to the
Miami Fusion
Miami Fusion F.C. was an American professional soccer club based in the Miami metropolitan area. The club competed in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The team played from 1998 to 2001. Announced in 1997 as one ...
in 1999. Kamler was sent back to DC United (in exchange for
Carlos Llamosa) before the 2001 season, and spent a year there before being shipped to the
MetroStars for
Richie Williams. His stay with the Metros did not last long: midway through the year, Kamler was part of a massive six-player deal in which he wound up with the
New England Revolution
The New England Revolution are an American professional association football, soccer club based in the Greater Boston area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference (MLS), Eastern Conference. It is on ...
. After two and a half seasons with the Revs, it was time once again to pack his bag, as he was chosen by
Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake (RSL) is an American professional Association football, soccer club based in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. Fou ...
with the eighth overall pick of the
2004 MLS Expansion Draft. In ten years in MLS, Kamler scored 12 league goals with 27 assists; half of his goals came in the 2003 season for the Revs. He retired following the 2005 season.
He was named
MLS Humanitarian of the Year in 2005.
In October 2018, Kamler was named head coach of
USL League Two
USL League Two (USL2), formerly the Premier Development League (PDL), is a semi-professional soccer league sponsored by United Soccer Leagues in the United States, forming part of the United States soccer league system. The league will featu ...
expansion club
Green Bay Voyageurs.
Kamler has also been the head coach of the
West De Pere Phantoms boys soccer team.
Personal
Kamler was involved in an altercation with
Jake Dancy during a February 1997 preseason match. Kamler's face was broken in seven places, including his cheek and around his left eye. Kamler filed a lawsuit against Dancy and the U.S. Soccer Federation. Dancy was charged with a felony for assault by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office. A trial was held on May 18, 1998, and Dancy pleaded no contest to the charge. Dancy was sentenced five years probation.
References
External links
Wisconsin United bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kamler, Brian
1972 births
Living people
All-American college men's soccer players
American men's soccer players
Creighton University alumni
Creighton Bluejays men's soccer players
D.C. United players
Major League Soccer players
New York Red Bulls players
Miami Fusion players
New England Revolution players
Real Salt Lake players
Richmond Kickers players
St. Louis Knights players
USISL players
Men's association football midfielders
USL League Two coaches
High school soccer coaches in the United States
CONCACAF Champions Cup–winning players
20th-century American sportsmen