Joel DeLass (born September 20, 1986 in

Spring Lake, Michigan Spring Lake is a village in Ottawa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,323 at the 2010 census. The village is located within Spring Lake Township. History In 1837, Captain Benjamin Hopkins purchased land in the area an ...

) is an American

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

coach and former player.

Career

College and amateur

DeLass attended

Western Michigan Christian High School Western Michigan Christian High School (commonly Western Michigan Christian, WMCHS, or WMC) is a 7- 12 private, Calvinist Christian school in Muskegon, Michigan, United States. It is accredited by the Michigan Association of Non-Public Schools, a ...

, who he helped lead to State and League Championships, and where he was a First Team All-State, All-Region, All-District, All-Area and All-Conference selection in 2003 and 2004 He subsequently played four years of

college soccer College soccer is played by teams composed of soccer players who are enrolled in colleges and universities. It is very prominent in United States, Japan, South Korea, Canada, and as well as in South Africa and the Philippines. The United Kingd ...

at Wheaton College. He was an All-CCIW Second Team selection as a sophomore in 2006 and as a junior in 2007, and was his team's captain in his senior year, leading them in scoring, while being named CCIW Player of the Year and earning a spot on the NSCAA Division III All-America First Team and Central Region First Team. During his college years DeLass also played in the

USL Premier Development League USL League Two (USL2), formerly the Premier Development League (PDL), is a semi-professional developmental soccer league sponsored by United Soccer Leagues in the United States and Canada, forming part of the United States soccer league syste ...

with

West Michigan Edge West Michigan Edge was an American soccer team based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1995, the team played in the USL Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2008, when the fra ...

Professional

Undrafted out of college, DeLass turned professional in 2010 when signed with the

Charlotte Eagles The Charlotte Eagles are an American professional soccer team based in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1991, the team plays in USL League Two, the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid. The team plays its home games at ...

of the

USL Second Division The USL Second Division (commonly referred to as USL-2) was a professional men's soccer league in the United States, operated by United Soccer Leagues (USL). It was at the third tier of soccer in the United States, behind Major League Soccer ( ...

. He made his professional debut on April 17, 2010 in a game against

Charleston Battery The Charleston Battery are an American professional association football, soccer club based in Charleston, South Carolina, and member of the USL Championship. Founded in 1993, the Battery are one of the oldest continuously operating professiona ...

. DeLass signed with

Dayton Dutch Lions Dayton Dutch Lions is an American association football, soccer team based in Dayton, Ohio, United States. Founded in 2009, the team plays in USL League Two, the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid. From 2011 to 2014, the team played in the ...

of the

USL Pro The USL Championship (USLC) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that began its inaugural season in 2011. The USL is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer) as a Division II league since 2017, pl ...

league on March 29, 2011. He re-signed with the club in January 2012. During the 2012 campaign, DeLass appeared in every match for the Dutch Lions, notching a league high 2,160 minutes in the regular season along with an additional 390 minutes in US Open Cup play. He contributed 1 goal and 1 assist in USLPRO action and scored what proved to be the match winner against the Michigan Bucks to send the Dutch Lions to the quarterfinals of the US Open Cup. The consistency and stability he provided in the midfield for the Dutch Lions saw his performance in the 2012 season earn him a spot on the 2012 USLPRO All League Second Team, despite the team’s 4-10-10 record.

Coaching

In 2021, after stints as an assistant coach for

USL League One USL League One (USL1) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that had its inaugural season in 2019. The Division III league is operated by United Soccer League, the same group that operates the Division II USL Championshi ...

sides

Lansing Ignite Lansing Ignite FC was a professional soccer team based in Lansing, Michigan, United States. The club began play in the newly-formed USL League One in 2019 and ceased operations following their inaugural season. History The formation of USL Le ...

and

Union Omaha Union Omaha Soccer Club is an American professional association football, soccer team based in Omaha, Nebraska. In 2020, the team made its debut in USL League One (USL1). History In 2019, USL1 awarded a franchise to Alliance Omaha Soccer ...

, DeLass joined the coaching staff of

USL Championship The USL Championship (USLC) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that began its inaugural season in 2011. The USL is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer) as a Division II league since 2017, pl ...

side

Real Monarchs Real Monarchs is a professional soccer club playing in the MLS Next Pro, a third division league of American soccer. The team is owned by, and operates as the reserve team of, the Major League Soccer club Real Salt Lake. While the senior club is ...

References

External links

Charlotte Eagles bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Delass, Joel 1986 births Living people American men's soccer players West Michigan Edge players Charlotte Eagles players Dayton Dutch Lions players USL League Two players USL Second Division players USL Championship players Soccer players from Michigan People from Spring Lake, Michigan Sportspeople from Ottawa County, Michigan Men's association football midfielders Wheaton Thunder men's soccer players Lansing Ignite FC Union Omaha Real Monarchs coaches