{{short description|Liberian footballer (born 1983)}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Leo Gibson | image = "Leo Gibson (Minnesota Thunder) vs LA Galaxy.jpg | image_size = 200px | fullname = Leo Gibson | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1983|8|9}} | birth_place = Monrovia, Liberia | height = {{convert|1.68|m|ftin|0|abbr=on}} | position = Forward | currentclub = | clubnumber = | youthyears1 = 2000–2002 | youthclubs1 = Monrovia Black Star | collegeyears1 = 2002–2003 | college1 = King Tornado | years1 = 2005–2008 | clubs1 = Minnesota Thunder | caps1 = 48 | goals1 = 9 | years2 = 2007–2009 | clubs2 = Detroit Ignition (indoor) | caps2 = 19 | goals2 = 8 | years3 = 2009 | clubs3 = Cleveland City Stars | caps3 = 27 | goals3 = 10 | years4 = 2009 | clubs4 = Rockford Rampage (indoor) | caps4 = 3 | goals4 = 8 | years5 = 2009–2010 | clubs5 = Philadelphia Kixx (indoor) | caps5 = 9 | goals5 = 7 | years6 = 2010 | clubs6 = Charlotte Eagles | caps6 = 7 | goals6 = 3 | years7 = 2010–2024 | clubs7 = Kansas City Comets (indoor) | caps7 = 215 | goals7 = 264 | nationalyears1 = | nationalteam1 = United States futsal | nationalcaps1 = | nationalgoals1 = | nationalteam2 = United States arena soccer | manageryears1 = 2017–2018 | managerclubs1 = Kansas City Comets (asst.) | manageryears2 = 2019–2023<ref>{{cite web |title=THANK YOU LEO! |url=https://www.kccomets.com/news/thank-you-leo}}</ref> | managerclubs2 = Kansas City Comets | medaltemplates = | pcupdate = 30 November 2021 | ntupdate = July 6, 2014 }}
'''Leo Gibson''' (born August 9, 1983) is a Liberian footballer who played for and was the former head coach for the Kansas City Comets in the MASL.<ref name="exmo150226">{{cite news |first=Bill |last=Althaus |newspaper=The Examiner |publisher=GateHouse Media |location=Independence, MO |title=Not Missing the Point |url=http://www.examiner.net/article/20150226/SPORTS/150229155/0/SEARCH |date=February 26, 2015 |accessdate=February 28, 2015}}</ref>
==Career==
===College=== Gibson was born in Monrovia, Liberia, but came to the United States in 2002, having previously played for the Monrovia Black Star youth team in the Liberian Premier League. He played college soccer at King College in Tennessee in 2002 and 2003.
===Professional=== Gibson had a trial with the Dallas Burn of Major League Soccer in 2004.,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.3rddegree.net/roster-dance/2004-roster-dance/ |title=2004 Roster Dance |access-date=2008-08-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120210084022/http://www.3rddegree.net/roster-dance/2004-roster-dance/ |archive-date=2012-02-10 |url-status=dead }}</ref> before eventually signing with the Minnesota Thunder of the USL First Division in 2005. However, a hand injury kept him from playing any games that season.<ref>[http://www.liberiansoccer.com/Liberian_forward_Leo_Gibson20060112.htm Liberian forward Leo Gibson tries to replace Melvin Tarley with the Minnesota Thunder] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081021060424/http://www.liberiansoccer.com/Liberian_forward_Leo_Gibson20060112.htm |date=2008-10-21 }}</ref> He remained with the Minnesota through the end of 2008, becoming an integral part of the team in the 2006 and 2007 seasons especially.
In 2007, the California Cougars of the Major Indoor Soccer League selected Gibson with the 40th pick in the MISL Draft. He informed the team that he preferred to not play in California and the Cougars traded his rights to the Detroit Ignition on November 15, 2007, in exchange for a first-round pick in the 2008 Supplemental Draft.<ref>[http://www.californiacougars.net/news/?id=641&cat=16 Cougars send Leo Gibson to Ignition for draft picks]</ref>
On March 17, 2009, having been released by Minnesota, Gibson signed for the Cleveland City Stars for an undisclosed transfer fee.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://usl1.uslsoccer.com/transactions/314725.html |title=Minnesota transfers Gibson to Cleveland |access-date=2009-04-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120215162301/http://usl1.uslsoccer.com/transactions/314725.html |archive-date=2012-02-15 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He played 27 games and scored 2 goals for Cleveland before the club folded at the end of the season; after a brief return to indoor soccer with Philadelphia Kixx in 2009–10, he signed with USL Second Division side Charlotte Eagles in 2010.
Gibson was signed to play in the MISL's return to Kansas City with the Missouri Comets on October 16, 2010. Named the MISL's Offensive Player of the Month in November, it was Gibson's move to the Comets’ DEFENSIVE end on New Year's Eve that provided the club its much-needed spark in the back. Despite playing the first seven games on offense, Gibson still tied for the team lead in blocks with 20, which tied him for 6th overall in the league. Gibson was a tenacious defender, but he was often able to find the back of the net for the Comets, finishing 8th in the league in scoring with 45 points and finishing tied for the second most 3-point goals with four. As a reward for his efforts, Gibson was named 1st Team All-MISL.
Gibson was named head coach of the Comets on October 29, 2019.<ref>{{cite web |title=COMETS SELECT SCORING LEADER FOR COACH |url=https://www.kccomets.com/news/comets-select-scoring-leader-for-coach |website=KCComets.com |date=29 October 2019 |accessdate=29 October 2019}}</ref>
Gibson retired from the Kansas City Comets in March 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-03-19 |title=News: COMETS LEGEND LEO GIBSON ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT - Kansas City Comets |url=https://www.kccomets.com/news/comets-legend-leo-gibson-announces-retirement |access-date=2024-07-25 |website=www.kccomets.com}}</ref>
===Honors=== ;Kansas City Comets *Major Indoor Soccer League Runners-Up: 2012-13<ref>{{cite web |title=2012-13 Major Indoor Soccer League Season |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012%E2%80%9313_Major_Indoor_Soccer_League_season |website=Wikipedia |accessdate=11 April 2020}}</ref>{{Circular reference|date=June 2020}} *Major Indoor Soccer League: 2013-14<ref>{{cite news |title=MISL: Missouri Comets claim first championship in dramatic win over Baltimore Blast |url=https://www.soccerwire.com/news/misl-missouri-comets-claim-first-championship-in-dramatic-win-over-baltimore-blast/ |accessdate=11 April 2020 |agency=Soccer Wire |publisher=Hummer Sport |date=17 March 2017}}</ref>
;Individual *All-MISL First Team: 2010–11, 2012–13, 2013-14<ref>{{cite web |title=2010-11 Major Indoor Soccer League Season |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010%E2%80%9311_Major_Indoor_Soccer_League_season#Awards |website=Wikipedia |accessdate=11 April 2020}}</ref>{{Circular reference|date=June 2020}} *All-MISL Second Team: 2011-12<ref>{{cite web |title=2011-12 Major Indoor Soccer League Season |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011%E2%80%9312_Major_Indoor_Soccer_League_season |website=Wikipedia |accessdate=11 April 2020}}</ref>{{Circular reference|date=June 2020}} *Major Arena Soccer League MVP: 2014–15 *All-MASL First Team: 2014–15 *All-MASL Second Team: 2015–16, 2021 *All-MASL Third Team: 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019-20<ref>{{cite web |title=Awards |url=https://www.maslsoccer.com/awards-2018-2019 |website=MASL |publisher=Soccer Shift |accessdate=11 April 2020}}</ref> *Ed Tepper Humanitarian of the Year: 2017-18
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.clevelandcitystars.com/leo-gibson Cleveland City Stars bio] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20071201120525/http://www.detroitignition.com/players/?id=26 Detroit Ignition bio] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20080801171341/http://www.mnthunder.com/igsbase/igstemplate.cfm?SRC=MD008&SRCN=biodetail&GnavID=5&SnavID=73&TnavID=&StaffBioID=17 Minnesota Thunder bio]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gibson, Leo}} Category:1983 births Category:Living people Category:Detroit Ignition players Category:Men's association football forwards Category:Men's association football midfielders Category:Liberian men's footballers Category:21st-century Liberian sportsmen Category:Liberian expatriate men's footballers Category:Major Indoor Soccer League (2001–2008) players Category:Monrovia Black Star FC players Category:Minnesota Thunder players Category:Cleveland City Stars players Category:Charlotte Eagles players Category:Footballers from Monrovia Category:USL First Division players Category:USL Second Division players Category:Kansas City Comets (2010–) players Category:Philadelphia KiXX (2001–2008 MISL) players Category:Major Indoor Soccer League (2008–2014) players Category:Player-coaches Category:American men's futsal players Category:Rockford Rampage players Category:Major Arena Soccer League coaches Category:American soccer coaches Category:King Tornado men's soccer players Category:Major Arena Soccer League players Category:Men's association football player-managers