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.

Cappelletti was born on January 17, 1989, in Kent, Washington, the son of Cap and Christi Cappelletti.^[1] As a child, he lived in Tennessee and Germany before his family settled in Madison, Alabama, ahead of his sophomore year of high school.^[2][3] 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.^[1]

At club level, Cappelletti played two years with Valley FC and one year with Birmingham United.^[3] 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).^[4]

In October 2016, three years after ending his club career, Cappelletti was called up for the first time by the Guam national team for the 2017 EAFF E-1 Football Championship.^[18][19] Although he was in the squad as a player, Cappelletti said he was excited for the callup as a "learning tool for coaching" and that he would be able to see firsthand what coaching is like at the national team level.^[15] He made his Guamanian debut on November 6, 2016, replacing Ian Mariano at halftime of an eventual 3–2 defeat against Hong Kong.^[19][20] Cappelletti appeared in all three of Guam's matches at the tournament and was not called up again by the country.^[21]

While still working as an assistant coach at Lane United, Cappelletti was named as the interim head coach at Lane Community College (LCC) on June 20, 2017.^[22] Without a formal announcement, he became the permanent head coach for the Titans before the 2017 season had begun.^[23] His first game in charge of Lane ended in a 3–2 victory over Skagit Valley on August 24.^[24] Lane finished with a 5–9–0 record in Cappelletti's first season in charge but recovered to go 6–6–3 in 2018, the program's best record since being brought back from hiatus.^[23] In 2019, the Titans led their region of the Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC) through seven games;^[25] they ended up finishing second and qualified for the NWAC playoffs for the first time in program history.^[26] Although the Titans were defeated in the regional playoff by Everett,^[27] Cappelletti was named as the Southern Region Co-Coach of the Year.^[28]

Following the 2018 PDL season, Lane United head coach John Galas departed the club to become an assistant coach at FC Tucson; Cappelletti was promoted to become the Reds' new head coach.^[29] He became just the second head coach in club history.^[30] To fill out his staff, Cappelletti hired his youth and college teammate Chace Zanaty as an assistant and brought in former American international Nate Jaqua as strikers coach.^[17] In his first game in charge of the Reds, Cappelletti and Lane United earned a 1–1 draw against Victoria Highlanders on May 10, 2019.^[31] Lane United finished with a 5–4–5 record in Cappelletti's lone season in charge, equaling the best record in club history.^[32]

On November 20, 2019, Cappelletti resigned his positions with both LCC and Lane United. He and his fiancée moved to Ohio, where Cappelletti took a position as a coach at Cincinnati-area youth club Cincinnati United SC.^[33] He departed Lane United with a 5–4–5 record from his lone season in charge and ended his Titans tenure with a record of 16–18–9.^[23][34] Cappelletti spent two years at Cincinnati United, then in 2021 was hired as an assistant coach for the Western Oregon Wolves, a brand-new NCAA Division II program. He was the first assistant in program history, but left the team before it ever played a game.^[35] In 2022, Cappelletti returned to Lane United as an assistant coach while also serving as an assistant for the Willamette Bearcats men's and women's teams.^[36][37]

Ahead of the 2023 season, Cappelletti briefly joined North Alabama SC as the club's assistant director of coaching.^[38] Shortly after, he was named as the head coach of the senior men's team, playing in USL League Two, and as an assistant coach for the senior women's team, playing in the USL W League.^[39] However, after just one month in Alabama and without taking charge of a game, Cappelletti received a professional coaching offer and departed to become an assistant coach for USL League One club Richmond Kickers. The head coach of the Kickers, Darren Sawatzky, was the head coach of Guam when Cappelletti earned his three caps with the national team.^[40]