Oly Town updates coaching staff with pro players Jason Dunn and Miguel Gonzalez, plus tryouts tomorrow

Oly Town FC’s coaching and technical staff underwent changes with the introduction of former Seattle Sounders and USMNT forward Jason Dunn new head coach for its USL2 team, as well as Miguel Gonzalez as technical club advisor.

The deal is Dunn!

Oly Town FC has announced the signing of former Seattle Sounders and USMNT forward and Olympia native Jason Dunn as the new head coach for Oly Town FC’s squad that will compete for the USL2 season in the summer of 2024, replacing the departing Liviu Bird.

The announcement was made at halftime of the WISL arena soccer match hosted by the Artesians against Snohomish County last January 6, in front of a loud home support in the Evergreen State Pavilion.  

In his halftime unveiling, Dunn highlighted his vision of recruiting local players and growing them into future pro soccer players, like his path in his playing days.

“We have to get these local players the opportunity, and I had the same goals and aspirations to play pro soccer in Europe and beyond,” said Dunn. 

The 52-year-old Dunn will take over the USL2 squad of Oly Town FC after a memorable USL2 run in the summer of 2023 under then-coach Liviu Bird, where they clinched a national playoff spot after finishing second in the Northwest Division with a 6-2-4 win-draw-loss season record with notable results such as a 3-2 upset win against inter-state rivals and eventual league champions Ballard FC.

“I was blown away with the vision Jason (Dunn) had during interviews,” said Oly Town part-owner and Director of Soccer Jason Smith. “The network of players he can bring in is amazing. The part that really impressed me was his commitment to working and growing the homegrown players.”

Oly Town has had multiple local players from Olympia High School (Sawyer Price, Keeper), Capital High School (Alec Zimmerman, Midfield), Shelton High School (Manny Nicasio, Midfield), and North Thurston (Landon Sexton, Defender) that have graced USL path to pro competition.

“For me the core is important for me to be established from here in Thurston County as they deserve the path” said Dunn about the future of local soccer and this pipeline to becoming pro player. “There’s a bunch of players from colleges in Seattle and I’ve coached teams there in Seattle and those players are off playing higher levels and have desires to win championships”

Although relatively new to football management, Dunn brings in his extensive CV as a pro player in Oly Town FC. He started his football career in Olympia as a young prospect in North Thurston High School, where he led the Rams to a Washington State championship in 1990 with a scoring record of 34 goals in his senior year.

New Oly Town FC USL2 head coach Jason Dunn representing the Seattle Sounders in his playing days in 1994

He then continued his hot scoring form in college as he represented Seattle Pacific University in the NCAA Division II and helped the Falcons win a college National Championship in 1993 as co-captain of the squad, along with his brother James. He was a goal machine for the Falcons with 62 goals in four seasons and earned first-team All-American recognition in 1992 and 1993.

Dunn’s relentless goalscoring stints in the NCAA caught the eyes of pro teams, and shortly he was picked up by the then American Pro Soccer League (APSL) expansion team Seattle Sounders in 1994, making him their first signing. He had a phenomenal rookie season with the Sounders as he scored ten goals in twenty-two games, earning him the APSL Rookie of the Year and second team All-Star honors.

All his goalscoring efforts led to his destiny in late 1994, where, at arguably the peak of his career, he was called up for national duty and garnered three caps for the US Men’s National Team after coming in as a substitute for friendly games against Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and Honduras.

From then, he would shift careers and tried his cleats for arena soccer, where he signed for the Wichita Wings of the indoor National Professional Soccer League, where he had 265 goals in 178 games, with his best season coming in 1999-2000 when he scored a prolific 95 goals in 44 games.

Dunn ended his pro playing career in 2002 unfortunately due to limited gameplay from the injuries he sustained.

USL 2024 will release its schedule over the next month as Oly Town, led by Dunn, will still hold their matches at South Sound Stadium in Lacey, Washington.

Homegrown pro player Miguel Gonzalez joins Oly Town FC’s technical staff

Meanwhile, Oly Town FC has beefed up its backroom staff by adding local pro soccer player Miguel Gonzalez as technical club advisor with a specialized role on youth soccer development.

This is a big step for the Artesians as the addition of the Thurston County-raised Gonzalez will strengthen the club’s grassroots recruitment for future youth players, along with extending his help as technical club advisor for the club’s upcoming USL2 and USL W bids in the summer.

“We’re humbled today and excited to have Coach Miguel join the Artesian staff from a USL and youth perspective,” said Oly Town’s principal owner Ryan Perkins. “To be able to have local youth soccer players and their parents be able to speak and learn from a person that grew up in this community and found a way to have a successful college and pro soccer career is incredible. It aligns with Oly Town’s goal to provide youth opportunities at a level beyond what is currently locally offered.”

Gonzalez started his soccer path in Yelm High School where he was a two-time Associated Press (AP) All State forward. As a promising high school soccer prospect, he went to Peninsula College for two years, where he shattered goal-scoring records (39 goals – single season, 49 goals – career), then was offered a spot at NCAA Division One via Seattle University led by then head coach Pete Fewing.

Miguel Gonzalez playing for Miami FC

Gonzales helped the Seattle University Redhawks clinch a Conference Title and a second-round finish in the NCAA College Cup Tournament, appearing in 41 matches and scoring 19 goals in division one competition across two seasons. Gonzalez was named All-Conference and numerous All-NCAA teams in 2013.

After his college stint, he has trialed for the MLS side Seattle Sounders and has appeared for the Kitsap Pumas in the PDL (now USL2). Since then, he has been the darling of pro soccer teams in the USL League One and the USL Championship, with a professional career spent playing for the Colorado Springs Switchbacks, Oklahoma City Energy, and Miami FC, with the latter being his final club after hanging up his boots in 2020.

Gonzalez had his moments in his pro soccer career, with the most notable being a beautiful bicycle kick as his debut goal for OKC Energy in the USL Championship against Sacramento Republic FC. With a pro career spanning three pro clubs in six years, he scored a prolific 53 goals in 143 appearances.

After retirement and post-pandemic, it has been “Coach Miguel Gonzalez,” he currently coaches ECNL level youth teams in south Seattle and plays pickup across the region. All this, and he will be tracing back his roots to share his pro experience and knowledge on the sidelines and at USL trainings for Oly Town FC.

“Competitive training opportunities outside of club soccer weren’t really around (Thurston County) when I was younger” said Gonzalez about his experience with local youth soccer opportunities. “I have played and been around the top-level athletes and have learned what it takes to be successful in the sport. The goal is to pass some of those ideas to the local youth through training and skills exercises.”

Tryouts

Oly Town recently announced its final USL League Two open tryout on tomorrow, January 13 in Olympia. With Gonzalez joining the club, the Artesians published a new advanced four-week skills training program for high school aged athletes in the region, from January 26 to February 16 at Ingersoll Stadium.

“The skills clinic will be an advanced soccer training program to help players improve their technical abilities and skills” said Gonzalez about his new Oly Town youth clinic series. “We will challenge the players in a competitive way without leaving out the most important part which is having fun throughout the process.”