LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Louisville City FC announced on Tuesday the club had signed veteran defender Sean Totsch to a new contract which will keep the club’s all-time minutes and appearance leader in purple. Terms of the new deal, which is pending league and federation approval, were not disclosed.

Totsch has been a mainstay in central defense dating back to LouCity’s USL Championship title runs in 2017 and 2018. He was also named to the USL Championship’s All-League Team each of the past four seasons.

“I’m really excited to just sign a new contract and extend my time here,” said Totsch. “Obviously the club and this team have meant a lot to me and my family, and this city has become my home. In eight years I’ve met my wife, bought a house and won a few trophies.

“I wouldn’t want to play for any other club. These guys are my brothers, and we speak often about going out there, battling for each other and having your brother’s back. I want to continue to do my part to add to the legacy of this club and to win the third star for LouCity.

“That’s our goal on a daily basis, and I love going to work every day with these guys to accomplish it.”

Since arriving in Louisville, Totsch has racked up 19,767 minutes in purple across 238 appearances. The North Dakota native, who played collegiately at Northern Illinois University, completed “Ironman” seasons in 2021 and 2023, playing every regular season minute. He also scored nine goals in 2022, setting a single-season record for a defender in the league, and has recorded 24 goals overall in the Championship’s regular season, the most by a defender in league history.

“We are happy to be able to finalize a new deal for Totsch to stay here in Louisville,” said LouCity Head Coach Danny Cruz. “He has continued to play a crucial role year after year and understands what it means to represent this club both on and off the field. When you look at his start to the season, he continues to be a player that provides us strength, leadership and quality on the ball from the back.”

“As a club we want to continue to be proactive in our roster construction, and finalizing this deal puts us in a position to have the continuity and depth that we want.”

Analysis

Sean Totsch extending his stay with LouCity is a no-brainer for both sides with the 32-year-old still at the top of his game for the current Players’ Shield leader. Totsch’s consistency at the center of defense has seen him post a 61.5% duel success rate and 71.8 percent tackle success rate in the club’s colors while also offering sterling leadership for the club’s young talent to learn from.

A three-time Championship title winner including his 2015 title with the Rochester Rhinos in his first professional campaign, Totsch is one of only seven players to have logged more than 20,000 regular season minutes in the league overall. With no clear end to his career in sight, it could be the North Dakota native could become the Championship’s all-time leader in both appearances and minutes when it’s all said and done.