Conner Cappelletti (born January 17, 1989) is an association football coach and former player. Previously the head coach at Lane United, Lane Community College, and North Alabama SC, he is an assistant coach for USL League One club Richmond Kickers. Born in the United States, he represented Guam at international level, playing as a defender.
A native of Kent, Washington, Cappelletti grew up in Alabama and attended Bob Jones High School, where he was a three-sport athlete. After playing youth football with Valley FC and Birmingham United, he spent his first two years of college at Wallace State Community College before transferring to Valparaiso University. Cappelletti played while in school with Indiana Invaders and Kansas City Brass, both in the Premier Development League, and played three more years after graduating: two seasons in the National Premier Soccer League with Rocket City United and a pair of friendly matches with Lane United. Three years after ending his club career, he was called up for the first and only time by Guam, earning three caps at the 2017 EAFF E-1 Football Championship.
Cappelletti transitioned into coaching during his playing career, taking charge of youth and high school teams before taking a job as an assistant coach with Lane United following his playing retirement. In 2017, he was named the head coach at Lane Community College, and in 2019 doubled up when he was promoted to head coach at Lane United. He stepped down from both positions in November 2019.
Early life
Cappelletti was born on January 17, 1989, in Kent, Washington, the son of Cap and Christi Cappelletti. As a child, he lived in Tennessee and Germany before his family settled in Madison, Alabama, ahead of his sophomore year of high school. Cappelletti was a three-sport athlete at Bob Jones High School, playing basketball, American football, and association football. He was on varsity in all three sports as both a junior and senior; with the Patriots soccer team, he was team captain and MVP and scored 15 goals during his senior season.
At club level, Cappelletti played two years with Valley FC and one year with Birmingham United. Without a Division I scholarship offer following his high school graduation, he elected to attend Wallace State Community College and play for the Lions' team in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).
Playing career
College and amateur
For two seasons, Cappelletti played college soccer at Wallace State, serving as a team captain as a sophomore. He earned NJCAA All-Region honors in both seasons, with the Lions going 15–3–0 under his leadership in 2008. Academically, he was named to the President's List in May 2009. Following his two years at Wallace State, he was recruited and received a scholarship to attend Valparaiso University and play under head coach Mike Avery. Joining Cappelletti in transferring to Valpo was his Wallace State teammate Roby Del Giudice, and the Crusaders' 2009 recruiting class also included Stefan Antonijevic.
On September 1, 2009, Cappelletti made his Division I and Valparaiso debut, starting in a 2–0 victory over Eastern Illinois. He played the full 90 minutes, anchoring a Crusader backline that allowed just four shots on target. He went on to appear in 13 matches during his junior season, including starting in all three games Valpo played that year against ranked opponents. Cappelletti was chosen to play less as a senior: he appeared in just six matches for the Crusaders. His lone start of the year came in his final collegiate game, as he played the full 90 minutes in a 2–0 victory over Detroit on November 6, 2010. Cappelletti played 19 matches over his two seasons with the Crusaders and was part of Valpo squads that earned two consecutive winning seasons for the first time in the team's history.
Premier Development League
While in college, Cappelletti spent two summers playing in the Premier Development League (PDL). Ahead of his first year at Valpo, he took the field with Indiana Invaders. In his lone season with the Invaders, Cappelletti appeared in 16 matches. He returned to the PDL ahead of his senior season with the Crusaders, this time playing with Kansas City Brass. Cappelletti appeared in 14 games for the Brass during his time with the club and trained with Major League Soccer club Kansas City Wizards.