Welcome, Eric Perilla – Our New Technical Director!

We’re excited to announce Eric Perilla as our club’s new Technical Director!

Eric brings over 20 years of playing and coaching experience at some of the highest levels of the game. A Dearborn native with Colombian and Native American/Mexican roots, Eric’s journey has taken him from the local grassroots club where he grew up being coached by his father, to Michigan State University as a club and then school team training player, to professional playing opportunities with clubs from the 1st to 3rd divisions of Argentina, Uruguay, Mexico, Italy, England, Sweden, and the USA.

As a coach, Eric has worked around some of the world’s best—most recently spending time at Inter Miami CF of MLS after being hired to serve as a goalkeeping coach for the U20s–U13s by Lionel Messi’s “Footballing Godfather,” Guillermo Hoyos, one of Leo's former coaches at FC Barcelona. This experience afforded Eric the opportunity to be in environments with some of the greatest players to grace the modern game, including Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba, while working in a world-class-level youth-to-pro club.

He has also held coaching roles with Detroit City FC of the USL Championship, Vardar and Kendall SC of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, the first official FC Barcelona Escola in the USA, and trained to be a scout with Atlanta United FC, to name a few. At Detroit City FC, Eric was an integral part of Trevor James’ coaching staff that helped lead the team through a remarkable 362-day unbeaten streak—currently the longest unbeaten run in U.S. professional soccer history—while also signed as a player. His primary role was to serve as the goalkeeping coach, but he also contributed as an assistant coach, building and running portions of training sessions, producing team and opposition video analysis reports, and assisting with scouting.

Over the course of his coaching career, he has consistently contributed to the success of the teams and players under his guidance, with many going on to win major trophies and receive prestigious individual accolades. He’s coached and helped develop numerous youth national team players and goalkeepers, with several going on to make their professional and full senior team debuts.

In 2014, Eric was recognized by United Soccer Coaches as part of their prestigious “30 Under 30” program—highlighted as one of “Thirty Coaches pegged as the Profession’s Next Generation.” He has also had the opportunity to observe U.S. National Team training sessions across multiple age groups, from the Senior Men’s National Team to the U20s, U17s, and all the way down to the U14s, and has participated in U.S. Soccer Training Centers gaining valuable insights from some of the top minds in American soccer. His coaching education has been shaped by experiences with players and coaches who have competed at some of the highest levels—from elite competition across North and South America, to the Premier League in England, La Liga in Spain, and even the FIFA World Cup.

Eric’s vision is to elevate our players’ development through a consistent, modern, and professional approach to training across all levels of the club via U.S. Soccer's Player-Centered Approach—Reality-Based, Holistic, Experiential, Autonomy Support.

Please join us in welcoming Coach Perilla to our soccer family — we can’t wait to see his passion, experience, and leadership in action this season and beyond!