The Ocean City Nor’easters will have new leadership for the 2023 USL League Two season. Matt Perrella has been promoted to head coach after spending two seasons as an assistant (2022, 2019). He will replace Kevin Nuss, who will transition to the Nor’easters’ front office where he will serve as the sporting director.

Along with Nuss, Perrella helped lead Ocean City to a historic undefeated regular season in 2022. 

Nuss’ transition to the front office was due to an exciting coaching opportunity. He was hired as an assistant coach and director of scouting with Union Omaha, one of the elite professional teams in USL League One.

“Ocean City has been a huge part of my life for over a decade so this was an extremely difficult decision but I know with Matt taking the lead, the club is in an excellent position to move forward,” said Nuss, who was a finalist for the 2022 USL-2 Coach of the Year award. “He is fully prepared to lead this club and I am excited to support him in my new position [as sporting director].

”Nuss and Perrella have a history together. Perrella was an assistant coach under Nuss at the Camden County College men's soccer program during the 2020 season. Perrella, who specializes in goalkeeper training, helped lead the Cougars to an 11-2-1 record and a run all the way to the NJCAA national championship game in the Spring of 2022. When Nuss was named the head coach of Indian Hills Community College (IA) this past spring, Perrella was the natural choice as his replacement as head coach at Camden County College. Perrella continued the Cougars' momentum into the 2021 fall season, finishing with a 12-1-2 regular season record and reached the national semifinals.

“It’s really a massive opportunity,” said Perrella. “Not just to be taking over following Kevin as the next Nor'easters head coach but to have earned such a level of trust from ownership to lead this group. Growing up, this was a club I had huge respect for and through college I never had the opportunity to play here. To be given this task, to have molded into the coach I am under Kevin's tenure, it's just a really special thing for me.”

This will be Perrella's third season with the Nor'easters, having worked as Nuss' assistant coach during the 2019 and 2022 USL League Two season.

Perrella previously worked as an assistant coach of the women’s soccer program at Drexel University and brings professional playing experience to the Nor’easters coaching staff. The North Brunswick, NJ native played professionally in both indoor (Harrisburg Heat, Syracuse Silver Knights) and outdoor soccer (Pittsburgh Riverhounds, Jacksonville Armada, Bethlehem Steel, North Carolina FC) during his playing career that began in England back in 2014 where he played for the Newcastle United reserves team.

 

Perrella played his college ball at Rider University where he was a four-year starter and a three-year captain.

 

 

“We are excited to have Matt step into the head coaching role,” said Nor’easters general manager Giancarlo Granese Jr. “Matt was a key part in the club having a successful season last year as an assistant coach. The club looks forward to seeing what he can do this season as the head coach.” 

 

In addition to his coaching experience with the Nor’easters, he also managed to get on the field a few times. In 2019, Perrella suited up and started in goal for Ocean City when the club played a friendly against European powerhouse SL Benfica (Portugal). Perrella backed up 2022 USL-2 Golden Glove winner Felix Schafer in the regular season finale last year. Once Schafer had broken the single-season club record for goals against average (0.55), Perrella replaced him in the 67th minute and maintained the clean sheet in a 4-0 road win over Philadelphia Lone Star FC.

“Kevin has done a fantastic job and has trusted me to lead teams before,” said Perrella. “I now have the responsibility to lead a group of highly talented players to success in the league and mentor them to reach their professional aspirations. Best of luck to Kevin with Union Omaha. I have no doubt he will be successful and continue to foster a winning tradition.”

For Nuss, this will be his ninth season with the Nor’easters, and his second season as sporting director. He last held the role in 2019 when he doubled as sporting director and head coach. In addition to his abilities as a head coach (17-3-8 career record as Nor’easters head coach), but his talent as a recruiter has been exceptional. During his eight seasons in a variety of roles, more than 60 players during that span moved on to sign professional contracts. That includes two players that won the league's most valuable player award: Chevaughn "Chevy" Walsh (2016) and Deri Corfe (2019). As a former goalkeeper himself, Nuss also helped continue the club's tradition of recruiting excellent goalkeepers, including current MLS players Logan Ketterer (CF Montreal of MLS), Tyler Miller (D.C. United), and reigning MLS Cup Final MVP John McCarthy (LAFC) .

With Nuss helping with recruiting as sporting director, Perrella is hoping to build on the momentum from last year’s historic undefeated regular season.

“As for the players, I want them all to know this will continue to be a place where they can grow professionally,” said Perrella. “They will have my full energy and attention, and we will continue to carry the Nor'easters tradition proudly.”