Since Kurt Schmid arrived on the Wasatch Front as RSL’s Technical Director in early 2021, RSL has qualified for the postseason in each of his five full seasons, reaching the MLS Western Conference Final in 2021 and the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Semifinal in 2023. The Club has established new standards for both outgoing and incoming transfers, with the “Winning Together Through Development” ethos finding success for young Academy players and MLS NEXT Pro competition. Earlier in 2025, the RSL Academy U-16 side became the first-ever group to capture both the Generation adidas and MLS Next Cup double. RSL continues to lead MLS academies in both first-team signings and college scholarships.
Players from nearly two dozen nations have called RSL home since Schmid’s arrival, demonstrating a diversity of scouting operations and player recruitment, utilizing every mechanism to attract talent to the RSL locker room. In nine transfer windows, Schmid has overseen $30 million-plus in player acquisitions and $15 million in sales abroad, while working with RSL Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni and his staff to mold the most competitive road-performing group in RSL’s 21-year history. RSL’s sixth-overall MLS finish in 2024 – out of 29 teams – enabled the Claret-and-Cobalt to return to CONCACAF Champions Cup for the first time in nearly a decade, while also earning a Tier 1 slot in the 2025 Leagues Cup. During Schmid’s tenure, RSL has seen five MLS All-Star selections (Diego Luna x2, Chicho Arango, Justen Glad, Damir Kreilach), while more than a dozen players have matriculated through the developmental pathway from the Academy and/or Monarchs to the first team.