A Legend Steps Aside: Celebrating Dan Carl's Incredible Legacy and Looking Ahead for DKCU Women
All good things evolve, but some legacies truly change the game. As we head into 2027, DeKalb County United is preparing for a major transition as our pioneering Women's Director of Soccer and Head Coach, Dan Carl, steps down.
When the DKCU Board voted to launch our women’s team in 2019, Dan was the first to raise his hand. Armed with over a decade of youth soccer background with NIFC, he embraced the daunting challenge of building the community's first semi-pro women’s group from scratch.
After kicking things off on the pitch in 2021 following the COVID break, Dan didn't just coach a team; he built a powerhouse, earning a promotion in 2024 to Women's Director of Soccer and expanding the club to a second team.
"From the early days Dan knew what the adult players of the community needed from a programming standpoint and understood what DKCU was about, Dan is one of those pure soccer guys who is always at the field trying to help his players improve and he did an incredible job taking this project from concept to championships."
Under Dan’s leadership, the cabinet is officially full of hardware, and the history books are permanently rewritten. His resume with DKCU includes:
5 straight Illinois State Cup Finals appearances
2× IWSL U23 Champions (2021, 2024)
2× Illinois State Cup Champions (2022, 2024)
2× USASA Region 2 Regional Runner-Up (2022, 2023)
1× 815 Cup Champion (2025)
Beyond the women's side, Dan also helped shape the future of local youth soccer as a founder and Director of Soccer for the DKCU Academy in 2022. Fittingly, his massive impact on the sport was cemented in 2025 when he was voted into the inaugural class of the DeKalb County Soccer Hall of Fame.
Reflecting on his time leading the program, Dan shared:
"I'm certainly proud of the various, multiple championships I was fortunate to help deliver to the club. I'm very proud to have been part of the start of the Women's platform for DKCU, being able to grow it to two teams. I'm grateful for the dozens and dozens of players for their commitment to their growth as well as to the growth of DKCU.
Thanks to John and the entire staff for their support of me and the Women's side. I simply look forward to a bit more time in the summer for myself and with family (which is supposed to be my 'downtime'). I will stay on as men's first team assistant. Look forward to seeing the program continue to grow under new direction."
So that's some good news! Coach Dan won't be too far away next summer. We cannot thank him enough for turning a bold concept into a championship-winning reality!
While Dan leaves behind an unforgettable legacy, DKCU's mission of building community through soccer continues to charge forward. Club leadership has already kicked off an international search to find the next visionary leader for our women's program.
Make sure you follow DKCU on social media and subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated on the upcoming coaching announcement, roster reveals, and match schedules for the 2027 season. Let's keep growing the game together, DeKalb!
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