Newly-hired head coach Dominic Casciato has wasted little time in assembling his technical staff. On Thursday, Union Omaha announced the appointment of two assistants who will help guide the Owls through the 2023 season: Kevin Nuss (Assistant Coach / Head of Scouting) & Ladulé LoSarah (Assistant Coach).
Kevin Nuss joins the club with plenty of coaching experience at the collegiate and club level. Since 2021, Nuss has been the head coach at Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, Iowa. In his inaugural season, he led the Warriors to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region XI Semifinals, upsetting Iowa Central Community College in the first round. At the conclusion of the season, six individuals from the roster signed Letters of Intent with four-year universities. In 2022, the Warriors repeated their greatness by winning the NJCAA Region XI Championship. When the season ended and the awards season began, Warriors star Pablo Marques stood alone as the winner of the Lea Plarski Award, presented annually to an NJCAA student-athlete who “exemplifies sportsmanship, leadership, community service, academic excellence and athletic ability.” It was only the 5th time in the 27-year history of the award for a soccer player to win the award.
During the off-season, Nuss inspired excellence at USL Two club the Ocean City Nor’easters. He’s been no stranger to the program, having filled various roles within the club since 2011, such as General Manager, Sporting Director, Assistant Head Coach, and Head Coach. In his almost 10-year stay, the club has seen an undefeated season (2022: 11-3-0) which earned Nuss a Coach of the Year nomination, a third-round US Open Cup match against Philadelphia Union (2013), and even competed in a friendly against Portuguese giants SL Benfica. By the time he left the club, 50 players moved on from the program and signed professional contracts. Furthermore, 14 players were selected in the MLS Draft and 4 are still active in the league.
In Union Omaha’s press release, Head Coach Dominic Casciato offered up high praise for the new additions. “I’m delighted to add both Ladulé and Kevin to my staff this season,” Union Omaha Head Coach Dominic Casciato said. “Although the spotlight will inevitably shine more on the players we bring in this off-season, these guys are two of our most important signings. Both will be pivotal in creating the winning culture we are looking to build, and they’ll help us develop and maintain high standards on a daily basis.”
Ladulé LoSarah is entering the 2023 season with six years of coaching under his belt, both at the collegiate and club level, as well. After retiring from a career featuring appearances with Inter Leipzig in Germany and the South Sudan National Team, LoSarah transitioned his love of the game into the managerial side. He started his coaching career with the U-17 Academy Team at his former club, FC International Leipzig in Germany in 2015. Within two years, LoSarah was stateside and coaching colleges like Pomona-Pitzer and Illinois Wesleyan (both Division III). While at Illinois Wesleyan, he helped lead the program to a school record-tying 42 goals. At his last stop before joining Union Omaha, LoSarah helped the University of California-Riverside win their second Big West Conference Title, as well as make their second-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
Head Coach Dominic Casciato added another quote to the club’s press release as he discussed further history with LoSarah. “Ladulé and I were classmates on both our USSF and UEFA A License courses, and his expertise in the physiological side of the game will be a huge asset over the course of the season,” Casciato said. “Kevin and I have known one another for over ten years, and his history of identifying and recruiting talented young players to compete for a top League Two franchise at Ocean City is second to none.”
The pre-season is ramping up quickly, which means more exciting news is just around the corner. Make sure to click “like”, “follow”, and “subscribe” so you stay in the know about Union Omaha. There’s more great content on the way, so stay tuned to Who Gives A Hoot for the latest news about your beloved Owls, including the very-recently dropped episode of the podcast. If you aren’t following us on social media, check the links below for all of Who Gives A Hoot’s accounts. As always…¡Viva Búhos!
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