NASL Combine Names Assistant Coaches

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Experienced College Coaches To Assist Ralph Perez

At 2014 North American Soccer League Combine

Former U.S. International Brian Quinn Heads The Group That Will

Work With Players At University Of California, Irvine From January 24-26

A group of experienced college coaches will work alongside former U.S. Men’s National Team Assistant Coach Ralph Perez at the annual North American Soccer League Player Combine that will take place at the University of California, Irvine from January 24-26, 2014.

The coaches have knowledge of players playing in numerous conferences across a wide geographical area from NCAA Division I colleges to the junior college level and the group includes University of San Diego assistant coach and former U.S. Men’s National Team player Brian Quinn.

“The help these coaches provide at the Combine will be invaluable as they organize the players and put them in the right positions to give them an opportunity to impress the watching NASL coaches,” said Perez. “They will prepare tactics and make adjustments during the matches that we will play at the end of the Combine that will show the players in a competitive environment.

“They share a common love for the game and the opportunity to help young players. The NASL is a tremendous league and I think the coaches will enjoy the Combine. We will have good weather and facilities and I really feel that the players will perform on that stage.”

NASL 2014 Combine Coaching Staff

Ralph Perez, Head Coach, University of Redlands

Brian Quinn, Assistant Coach, University of San Diego

George Kuntz, Head Coach, Cal State Fullerton

Chris Volk, Head Coach, UC Irvine

Terry Davila, Head Coach, Cal State Northridge

BJ Noble, Director of Soccer, Notre Dame De Namur

Rich Ryerson, Head Coach, UNLV

Juan Sanchez, Head Coach, Mt. San Antonio College

Brian Quinn has many years of both playing and coaching at the highest level to accompany his distinguished 16-year professional career dating back to 1978.  He is currently the Director of Boys coaching for F.C. San Diego, and is a Technical Director for Adidas ESP developmental program.

As a player, Quinn was an eight-time champion with the San Diego Sockers, eight-time All-Star, fourth all-time scorer in Sockers’ history, second all-time playoff scorer, two-time MVP in playoff Championship Series (1986 & 1990), a 1991 Gold Cup Winner with the US National Team, and was the youngest coach in Major League Soccer history in 1997.

George Kuntz is a 26-year head-coaching veteran who was appointed men’s soccer head coach at Cal State Fullerton on December 16 after serving 19 years as the men’s head soccer coach at UC Irvine. He turned the Anteaters into a perennial soccer power that made four NCAA Tournament appearances in the last six years, winning four Big West Tournament championships (2008, 2009,2011, 2013) and three regular season titles (2008, 2010, 2011).

Chris Volk assumed the head coaching position at UC Irvine in December after 17 seasons as lead assistant and goalkeeper coach. He has been a central figure in the rise of UC Irvine men’s soccer, which has won four Big West regular season and tournament titles along with four NCAA Tournament berths in 2008, ’09, ’11, and ’13.

Terry Davila has been the head coach of the Cal State Northridge soccer program since 1999 and has twice been named the Big West coach of the year.

Prior to arriving at NDNU, BJ Noble served as the men’s coach for two years at Millikin University in Decatur, IL and led the Big Blue to a 10-8-2 record in 2008.

Former Rebel standout Rich Ryerson took over the helm of the UNLV program in 2010 after spending the previous two years as an assistant coach and in his first year took a team that had 11 newcomers and coached it to a 6-11-2 mark.

For the past ten seasons, Juan Sanchez has been the one of the most dominant men’s soccer coaches in California, winning the South Coast Conference (SCC) Championship and the SCC Men’s Soccer Coach of the Year award eight times.

Perez and the coaches of all teams will cast a watchful eye over up to 80 elite domestic and international players who are being invited, with their goal to earn a place at a NASL team preseason training camp and ultimately a professional contract. The three days of evaluation will include fitness testing, position drills, a goalkeeper session, small-sided games and full 11v11 matches to conclude the Combine.

Perez, who has been the Head Men’s Soccer Coach at the University of Redlands since 2006, was an assistant coach for the U.S. team that qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 40 years in 1990.   He also led the U.S. squad to fourth place at the 1989 FIFA U-20 World Championship.  From 1996 to 2003, he worked as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Galaxy and New York-New Jersey MetroStars, prior to serving as the Director of Coaching and Youth Development from 2003 to 2005. 

This will be the fourth time the NASL has held a combine, which has previously led to several players earning professional contacts, including Mark Anderson of the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, who was the third top goal scorer in 2012, and Tampa Bay Rowdies defender Jordan Gafa.

NCAA Division I, II and NAIA college coaches have received NASL Combine information and an invitation to nominate suitable players and also become involved with coaching games at the Combine so that NASL coaches are free to evaluate talent.