Braeden Cloutier
Personal information
Date of birth (1974-10-03) October 3, 1974 (age 49)
Place of birth Wichita, Kansas, United States
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Position(s) Forward, midfielder
Youth career
1992–1993 Hamburger SV
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1993–1994 Hamburger SV II 14 (2)
1994 San Diego Sockers (indoor) 27 (13)
1994–1996 Wichita Wings (indoor) 63 (36)
1996 San Diego Sockers (indoor) 28 (27)
1997 MetroStars 17 (0)
1997–1998 → Wichita Wings (loan; indoor) 25 (39)
1998–1999 San Jose Clash 56 (4)
1999–2001 Wichita Wings (indoor) 81 (87)
2000 Charleston Battery 13 (2)
2001–2002 New England Revolution 24 (0)
2002–2004 Cleveland Force (indoor) 28 (13)
2004–2005 San Diego Sockers (indoor) 6 (1)
2005–2006 Orange County Blue Star 15 (3)
2009–2012 San Diego Sockers (indoor) 5 (1)
Managerial career
2015–2017 Orange County SC[1] (assistant)
2017–2021 Orange County SC
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Braeden Cloutier (born October 3, 1974) is an American soccer coach and former player who is the former head coach of Orange County SC. As a player, he spent five seasons in Major Soccer League and over twelve in various indoor leagues.

Early life

Cloutier grew up in Wichita, Kansas, where he attended Northwest High School. In July 1992, he left high school and moved to Germany to play for Hamburger SV.[2] He entered Hamburg's youth system, playing on their undefeated championship youth team of 1992–93.

Professional

In 1993, he moved to the Hamburger SV reserve team for the 1993–94 Regionalliga Nord season.

Indoor

In 1994, he returned to the United States and signed with the Las Vegas Dustdevils of the Continental Indoor Soccer League. On June 8, 1994, the Dustdevils traded Cloutier to the San Diego Sockers in exchange for Tom Crane.[3] He spent the 1994 season in San Diego, scoring thirteen goals in twenty-seven games. In the fall of 1994, he signed with the Wichita Wings of the National Professional Soccer League. At the time, the CISL and NPSL were in vicious competition and had refused to allow players to move between the two leagues. Cloutier's move from the Sockers to the Wings led to an unsuccessful legal action by the Sockers to prevent him from playing in Wichita. Despite the legal threats, Cloutier spent the entire 1994–1995 season in Wichita.[4] In June 1995, the Sockers announced they had signed Cloutier for the upcoming CISL season. He denied it and sat out the season as the Wings and Sockers continued their legal battles over his playing rights. He returned to the Wings in the fall for the 1995–1996 NPSL season.[5][6] In 1996, he finally returned to the Sockers for the summer indoor season.[7]

Major League Soccer

In February 1997, the MetroStars selected Cloutier in the second round (fifteenth overall) of the 1997 MLS Supplemental Draft. He spent the 1997 season with the MetroStars then in October loaned him to the Wichita Wings for the 1997–1998 NPSL season.[8] On January 31, 1998, the MetroStars traded him to the San Jose Earthquakes for a second round pick in the 1998 MLS College Draft. Cloutier spent two seasons in San Jose. The Earthquakes released him at the end of the 1999 season and on October 20, 1999, he signed a three-year contract with the Wichita Wings. He spent two winter indoor season with the Wings.[9][10] In 2000, he played with the Charleston Battery in the USL A-League.[11] On May 12, 2001, the New England Revolution claimed Cloutier off waivers from San Jose after Cloutier didn't resign with the Clash in 1999. Cloutier opted to sit out the 12 month restriction from Major League Soccer then signed with the Revolution in 2001. He was a key piece off the bench and spot starts for the Revs in the run to the 2002 MLS Cup game.[12] He played two seasons with the New England Revolution and retired before the start of the 2003 season, due to injury complications in his hip.

Indoor

He then signed with the Cleveland Force in the Major Indoor Soccer League on February 7, 2003, and played six games through the rest of the season.[13] He returned to the Force for the 2003–2004 season.[14] On June 15, 2004, the Force sent Cloutier, along with Nevio Pizzolitto, to the San Diego Sockers in exchange for Robbie Aristodemo.[15][16] The league suspended the Sockers during the season and the Milwaukee Wave claimed Cloutier in the dispersal draft. He did not move to Milwaukee, but remained in San Diego where he played for the San Diego Sockers in the Professional Arena Soccer League.[17] In 2009, he signed with the San Diego Sockers of the Professional Arena Soccer League.

Coaching

Youth

Year Club Team Notable Results
2007 West Coast FC Super Y-League
2013 West Coast Galaxy Alliance BU-12[18]
2017 West Coast FC B2001 National Cup Finalist[19]

Orange County SC

In February 2015, Cloutier was named as assistant coach for Orange County Blues FC under Head Coach Oliver Wyss.[20] He continued as assistant coach when Logan Pause was announced as head coach in Jan 2017.[21] In December 2017, Cloutier was named Head Coach for the 2017-2018 season.[22] Cloutier was relieved of his duties as head coach after 6 years at the club, including 4 as head coach in 2021. [23]

Year W D L Place Result
2018 20 6 8 1st West Conference Final
2019 15 9 10 5th West Conference Quarterfinal
2020 7 3 6 3rd Group B DNQ
2021 7 5 7

Birmingham Legion FC

On February 2, 2024, Cloutier was announced as First Team Assistant Coach and USL 2 Development Director for Birmingham Legion FC.[24]

References

  1. ^ Known as Orange County Blues FC from 2014–2016.
  2. ^ NORTHWEST SOCCER PLAYER HEADS TO TRYOUT IN GERMANY Wichita Eagle, The (KS) – Friday, July 24, 1992
  3. ^ Sockers (and father) win historic game San Diego Union-Tribune, The (CA) – Saturday, June 25, 1994
  4. ^ NATIONAL PROFESSIONAL SOCCER LEAGUE FINAL OFFICIAL STATISTICS – 1994–1995 Archived September 3, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ WINGS WASTING NO TIME FILLING ROSTER Wichita Eagle, The (KS) – Sunday, August 27, 1995
  6. ^ NATIONAL PROFESSIONAL SOCCER LEAGUE FINAL OFFICIAL STATISTICS – 1995–1996 Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ "The Year in American Soccer – 1996". Sover.net. Archived from the original on August 5, 2009. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
  8. ^ NATIONAL PROFESSIONAL SOCCER LEAGUE FINAL OFFICIAL STATISTICS – 1997–1998 Archived January 28, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ NATIONAL PROFESSIONAL SOCCER LEAGUE FINAL OFFICIAL STATISTICS – 1999–2000
  10. ^ NATIONAL PROFESSIONAL SOCCER LEAGUE FINAL OFFICIAL STATISTICS – 2000–2001 Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ "Charleston Battery". Charleston Battery. Archived from the original on October 25, 2011. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
  12. ^ "Revolution Acquires Midfielder Braeden Cloutier". Revolutionsoccer.net. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
  13. ^ MAJOR INDOOR SOCCER LEAGUE FINAL OFFICIAL REPORT – 2002-2003
  14. ^ "MAJOR INDOOR SOCCER LEAGUE FINAL OFFICIAL REPORT – 2003-2004". Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved April 24, 2009.
  15. ^ Thien, Glae (October 6, 2004). "Not old, just experienced: Soccer nomad Braeden Cloutier, 30, returns to Sockers". Signonsandiego.com. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
  16. ^ MAJOR INDOOR SOCCER LEAGUE FINAL OFFICIAL REPORT – 2004-2005 Archived October 24, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  17. ^ "Beach Soccer Jam 2009". Arenaleague.com. Archived from the original on February 19, 2012. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
  18. ^ "Local soccer club builds alliance with LA Galaxy". Orange County Register. April 4, 2013. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
  19. ^ "City Scoreboard: Youth Soccer Teams Excel in National, Local Tournaments". San Clemente Times. June 9, 2017. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
  20. ^ "Blues' Head Coach Wyss Announces Coaching Staff For 2015 Season". OurSports Central. February 23, 2015. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
  21. ^ "Logan Pause named OC Blues head coach". Angels on Parade. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
  22. ^ Communications, Orange County SC (December 13, 2017). "BRAEDEN CLOUTIER NAMED HEAD COACH OF ORANGE COUNTY SC". Orange County Soccer Club. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
  23. ^ Communications, Orange County SC (August 19, 2021). "Orange County Soccer Club announced Thursday that head coach Braeden Cloutier has been relieved of his duties. Cloutier had been head coach of OCSC since 2017". Orange County Soccer Club. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  24. ^ "Braeden Cloutier Joins Legion FC's Technical Staff". Birmingham Legion FC. Retrieved February 2, 2024.

External links

Orange County SC – Head coaches
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