Fix up the Fam??

Lynn Family Stadium is 5 years old, and that feels weird. It feels like it has been around forever when in reality it is preparing to enter elementary school. I love the Fam, especially the atmosphere it creates on a big match night. The Fam has been home to some of my favorite all-time sports moments, not just soccer. It is one of the best facilities in the USL Championship and a symbol of the professionalism and exceptional nature of LouCity and SoccerHoldings as a whole. The Fam has a fatal flaw to me: it has no personality.
The outside of Lynn Family Stadium projects character with its sloping brown facade, massive videoboard, and gives you a sneak peek with the open waterfront end. Stepping inside you get the colors of grey and green; grey for the seats and concrete, and the green of the lush playing surface. The stadium at times has felt more like a municipal field for an eastern European city than for one of the best teams in North America. The confines of the Fam are very brutalist in design at times, very minimalist. I understand that is because Lynn has two tenants who don’t exactly share color schemes, but that doesn’t mean we can’t throw some flair (yes, kind of like the movie Office Space) around the Fam!
This aspect may be controversial, but let’s talk retiring numbers. The retiring of a famous player’s number is definitely an American hallmark, as most European clubs honor legendary players in other ways. What I am discussing might be numbers, a ring of honor, or something similar, but you get the idea. These people are the ones you have come to mind when you think of LouCity. Here is my list of who for sure should be honored in the stadium:
The first no doubter for recognition upon retirement is Niall McCabe. Niall might be a hard sell if you are talking to an ordinary soccer fan who knows nothing about LouCity since he doesn’t jump off the pages stat-wise, but as the only Day 1 player still here, he is our legend. He does have over 200 appearances to his name, no small feat in itself. He is the heartbeat and backbone of this franchise and it will be a sad day when he decides to hang up his boots once and for all.
The next name is Cam Lancaster. I am a firm proponent that the all-time leading goal scorer for any franchise should have recognition, and that will be Cam unless something absurd occurs. Lancaster has 88 goals all told during his time in Louisville and that is almost more than the next three players in line put together (that would be 93 total by Ownby, Magnus Rasmussen, and Luke Spencer.) Nobody is touching his goals record for City. Cam also had the championship winning goal at Slugger in City’s first title over the Swope Park Rangers and broke the league scoring record in 2018 with 25 goals.
My next nominee is arguably the greatest player in franchise history: Sean Totsch. Mr. Tucked in, Locked in, is the definition of consistency. He recently set the record for most USL Championship appearances in a career at 296, and counting, and scored his 30th goal, the most of any defender in league history. Totsch made five straight all-league teams from 2020-2024, with being first-team from 2020-2022. He was City’s longtime talisman from the penalty spot. Sean Totsch is an open and shut case.
This is where it gets a little trickier, as I believe these gentlemen deserve recognition, but not at the same level as the previous cases. The first discussion is Brian Ownby, please put down the guns and knives. If Brian Ownby has anything close to a healthy stint in Louisville, he is a no doubter for inclusion, but we are discussing Brian Ownby who has had some rough luck with injuries. He is without a doubt the most dangerous attacker in franchise history, with his speed and agility able to break down any defense. He is second all-time in goals scored with 35 and the all-time leading assist man at 46. The lack of longevity brings his inclusion into some question, but not too much. A whole separate matter is his beard, which will have its own shrine eventually.
Paolo DelPiccolo is another interesting case. He was the longest-serving captain in franchise history, and retired as the all-time appearances leader (passed by Totsch), but otherwise went quietly about his job in the midfield. He doesn’t lead any statistical categories having scored 23 goals and providing 19 assists. He did perform the Herculean task of marking Didier Drogba during City’s second USL Cup title, and earned MVP honors for it. While PdP doesn’t wow you in any particular way, there is a place for the longest captain on this list.
James O’Connor was the club’s first ever coach, and he was instrumental in getting the franchise to hit the ground running. Coach O’Connor built the culture of Louisville City as a winner and a destination for players who want success. He was at the helm for the first USL Cup in 2017, but broke hearts across Louisville when he left to take the Orlando City job during the 2018 season. He wasn’t City’s longest-tenured coach, or its winningest, and there are plenty of questions concerning his role as President of Soccer Holdings during the time of Christy Holly as Racing’s manager, but for me her merits discussion.

Now we come to those who are truly fringe candidates for recognition. They had solid careers, but otherwise don’t immediately come to mind when you think LouCity or Racing.
Oscar Jimenez turned a trial into a very solid career at City. Oscar has over 200 total appearances to his name, formerly led in assists at 39, and earned a USL First-team honor in 2019 along with two USL Cup titles.
Greg Ranjitsingh is not the most honored GK in City history, that would probably be Ben Lundt who was all-league first-team and Goalie of the year in 2020, but Greg was between the posts for both of City’s titles and was the first international call-up in franchise history when Trinidad and Tobago called him up in 2016.
Magnus Rasmussen scored the first goal in franchise history in 2015 at Slugger. He would then go on to score 28 more times during his two stints in Louisville. Magnus was always a great complimentary option, especially from the top of the box when he could get it to his left, but was never really the main threat. He was the leading scorer in 2019 with 13 goals and still sits third all-time.
Danny Cruz will go down as the most successful coach in City history….probably. Coach Cruz recently became the fastest coach in league history to 100 wins, doing so in 169 games (nice), and the youngest at 35 years old. He was at the helm as City secured its first ever Shield in 2024, but the one thing that has alluded Cruz has been winning the USL Cup.
Lauren Milliet has been the stalwart in the otherwise tortured existence that has been Racing Louisville. She is the first Racing player to eclipse 100 appearances and is the all-time minutes leader by over 1,000 minutes. She doesn’t jump out necessarily on the stat sheet anywhere, but like Niall McCabe, when you think Racing Louisville she has to be one of the first that comes to mind

My next idea is to honor the historic season’s of individual players. For all of the success that City has had as a franchise, it has not reeled in a ton of individual awards. The only MVP in team history was Matt Fondy in 2015 when he won the Golden Boot and broke the scoring record at 22 goals. The only Defender of the Year also came in 2015 (how Sean Totsch hasn’t won one while with City is a disgrace) as Bryan Burke earned it at right back while leading the league in assists. Jonathan Gomez was the lone Young Player of the Year in 2021 (also a disgrace that Josh Wynder never won it). Ben Lundt won the 2020 Goalkeeper of the Year for City while on loan. Katie Lund set the Saves in a season record in back-to-back season’s for the NWSL. You can recognize these spectacular season’s somewhere in the facility, while also recognizing Cam Lancaster’s 2018 Golden Boot that somehow didn’t win MVP.

Ok, I get that honoring specific players might not be a “soccer-thing”, but can we at least put the two USL Cup titles, the Shield, and the two Women’s Cups up somewhere to be honored and revered??? Let’s make the Fam more of a home, and that starts with giving it some personality by honoring LouCity and Racing’s successes!