Lexington Sporting Club Names Masaki Hemmi Head Coach of USL Championship Side, Kosuke Kimura Head Coach of Gainbridge Super League Squad
USL Lexington Sporting Club

Lexington Sporting Club Names Masaki Hemmi Head Coach of USL Championship Side, Kosuke Kimura Head Coach of Gainbridge Super League Squad

Published on December 9, 2025 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Lexington Sporting Club News Release


LEXINGTON, Ky. - Lexington Sporting Club on Tuesday appointed Masaki "Mac" Hemmi as head coach of its USL Championship squad. Correspondingly, women's assistant coach Kosuke Kimura has been named head coach of Lexington's Gainbridge Super League squad.

Hemmi served as head coach for Lexington SC's Gainbridge Super League team since the start of the 2025/26 season. In 12 matches, Hemmi has led the LSC women to an undefeated 5W-0L-7D record and into first place in the league standings.

Hemmi reigns as the Gainbridge Super League Coach of the Month after shattering the league's previous record for longest unbeaten streak, and the Gals in Green currently sport a +15 goal differential.

"I'm excited to take on a new challenge within the club to help Lexington Sporting Club become a premier club in North America," said Hemmi. "We were able to completely transform the women's team in six months, and as a coach, I'm honored that Bill Shively, Stephen Dawahare and the rest of the leadership team believe in me to help the men achieve that same level of excellence, and help the club take the next step forward. The women are in a tremendous position to sustain their success, and I'm excited for Kosuke and Taylor Leach to lead them - they're in great hands. I'm thankful to still be around that staff and group of players."

Prior to joining Lexington earlier this year, Hemmi served as an assistant and interim head coach for the NWSL's Chicago Stars from 2024-25.

His coaching career also includes a stint with the USL Championship's New Mexico United as its first assistant, director of player personnel and later interim head coach in 2023. He also served as associate head coach for INAC Kobe of Japan's WE League.

With Hemmi's transition to the men's side, Kosuke Kimura has been named the Gainbridge Super League squad's head coach.

Kimura has played a vital role in the women's first-half success, helping lead training sessions alongside Hemmi and helping develop individual development plans for each player.

Kimura's foray into coaching began as an assistant with MLS' Nashville SC, a club he played for during its early days in the USL Championship. He served as an assistant in Music City from 2022-24 before joining Hemmi's staff in Lexington.

As a player, Kimura spent eight years in MLS with the Colorado Rapids, Portland Timbers and New York Red Bulls. He became the first Japanese-born player in the history of Major League Soccer, eventually winning an MLS title in 2010 with the Rapids and the 2013 MLS Supporters' Shield with Red Bulls.

In addition to his time in MLS, Kimura's playing career included stints with the USL Championship's FC Tulsa and Nashville SC.

"I want to thank ownership for this opportunity, and thank Mac for everything he's given to this group," said Kimura. "Mac and I approach coaching the same way - we care about the person first, then the player. We want to strengthen our identities and be authentic in ourselves and our style of play. We have the people in the building we need to win, and I'm excited to lead this team and play soccer the way we believe will improve the team and us as individuals. We need to appreciate what we have every day, but at the same time, we need to earn it every day. The goal is a Players' Shield, then to host a playoff game. We also want to get our community more involved and continue to align what we do in our academy team with the pro team to inspire the next generation of soccer players in Lexington."

The coaching transitions will go into effect during the Gainbridge Super League's winter break.

Check out the Lexington Sporting Club Statistics

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from December 9, 2025


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