DETROIT, Michigan – The Detroit City Football Club and women’s head coach Sam Piraine are excited to announce its coaching staff ahead of its debut season in the USL W League. Piraine returns for his third season at the helm while welcoming Danny Dragoi, Eric Perilla, and Tyler McManus to his staff.
Piraine was named the head coach of Detroit City’s women’s side ahead of its inaugural season in 2020, bringing nearly 20 years of coaching experience to the pitch. Along with his head coaching duties with the women’s first team, Piraine serves as the Technical Director for Detroit City FC Youth West. After a career that saw him play in the A-League (now USL Championship) for the Cincinnati Riverhawks before earning training call-ups in the MLS, Piraine began coaching high school and club in 2004.
Dragoi returns to the club after spending part of his playing career with the men’s team – most recently in 2016 while the club competed in the NPSL. Dragoi played for three clubs in the Albanian Superliga and with AS VARESE CALCIO in Italy’s third division before kicking off his coaching career. Along with his role with the women’s side, Dragoi is a coach with DCFC Youth West.
Perilla comes to the women’s side as the goalkeepers coach – holding the same role with the men’s first team and the Academy program. Perilla first came to Detroit City in 2020 after starting his coaching career in 2007. He was named to United Soccer Coaches’ 30 Under 30 in 2014 – having played and worked with multiple professional clubs and coached locally in the youth, high school, and collegiate ranks. Perilla spent time coaching at the U.S. Soccer National Training Center and the U.S. Soccer Development Academy.
McManus joins Piraine’s staff while also leading the club’s youth and academy efforts as the Director of Youth Development. McManus first came to City in 2021 after spending six years with Sporting Kansas City of Major League Soccer. While with Sporting KC, McManus worked in various roles leading the club’s youth programs. McManus served on staff under Will Dyer at Lawrence Tech University this past year, leading the program’s second team and assisting with the first team.
After a brief 2020 slate due to COVID, Le Rouge kicked off its first official season of league play in 2021 in the UWS. Detroit City finished third in the Midwest North Conference with a mark of 6-0-4, posting the group’s second-best goal differential of +20.
The club has announced 14 players to 2022’s roster – headlined by All-Conference honorees Madison Duncan and Kenna White. Shannon McCarthy highlights a group of newcomers – coming home to Detroit after spending three seasons playing professionally in Kazakhstan for BIIK Kazygurt – making it to the round of 16 of the UEFA Women’s Champions League in 2019 and 2020.
Detroit City FC will be announcing the remainder of the roster leading up to the side’s first match of 2022 on May 7 against Kalamazoo FC at Keyworth Stadium. For a full view of the 2022 schedule, visit detcityfc.com/womens-schedule.
After two years in the UWS, Detroit City will kick off the USL’s newly established W League. The club announced the move on December 1 after the men’s side moved from NISA in the third division to U.S. Soccer’s second tier with the USL Championship. Le Rouge will compete in the league’s Great Lakes Division against AFC Ann Arbor, Flint City AFC, Indy Eleven, Kalamazoo FC, Kings Hammer FC, Midwest United FC, and Racing Louisville FC’s second team.
Season tickets are on sale at tickets.detcityfc.com and start at just $150 – season tickets cover both men’s and women’s home regular-season matches – Women’s season packs start at $49.
For more information about Detroit City FC, visit detcityfc.com.com and follow @DetroitCityFC on Twitter and Facebook and @detroitcityfootballclub on Instagram.
About Detroit City FC
Detroit City FC has established itself as one of the most talked-about soccer teams in North America. Our club motto, Passion for Our City, Passion for the Game, evokes the three club values: to satisfy the demand for soccer in downtown Detroit, represent the City in a positive light, and build community through “the beautiful game.”
About USL–W
The USL W League is a pre-professional women’s soccer league set to kick off in May 2022. The USL W League strives to use women’s soccer as a force for societal good by creating a national platform to increase opportunity, gender equity, and career development. The league and its member clubs are committed to investing in women’s soccer – through financial resources and time, energy, and attention – and are united in our mission to grow the women’s game.
