Nor'easters Legend Returns To Coach Ocean City Soccer Team

OCEAN CITY, NJ — The Ocean City Nor'easter men's soccer club’s all-time leading coach in Premier Development League (PDL) wins is back. Tim Oswald, the Nor'easters' sporting director for the last two seasons, is assuming the head coaching job for the team for the 2019 season, the team announced on Thursday.

Oswald, who was also the team’s coach from 2012-2016, takes over for the departing John Thompson. Last month, Thompson announced he was leaving the team to focus on coaching a girls team in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy (USSDA).

Kevin Nuss, who was an assistant coach under Oswald and later the general manager for that 2016 team, will replace Oswald as sporting director.

Oswald has reassembled his coaching staff from 2016, when the Nor’easters advanced all the way to the PDL national semifinals. He will welcome legendary coach Skip Roderick back to the club as an associate head coach.

"We are excited to announce the new staff for the 2019 season," Nor'easters General Manager Giancarlo Granese Jr. said. "These three guys have been in the PDL game before and have had success at this level. As everyone knows, the PDL is a changing game and nothing can stay the same forever. We look forward to getting the ball rolling again for the 2019 season."

Oswald was eager to return to the sidelines.

“The opportunity to coach the PDL team again was presented to me from [Nor’easters team president] John Granese and [Nor’easters general manager] Giancarlo Granese Jr., and I decided to accept the offer,” Oswald said. “As the sporting director, I was able to assist the club in whatever area was needed, but I missed the day-to-day interaction with the team, the relationships that were built with the players, the training sessions and the matches as my involvement was a bit more indirect.”

Oswald was the Nor'easters' head coach for five seasons and finished as the club's all-time leader in PDL victories with a 47-19-6 record. He led the club to a pair of Mid-Atlantic Division titles (2012, 2013), two Eastern Conference championships (2013, 2016), reaching the PDL National Semifinals in both seasons. Oswald was also a finalist for the PDL Coach of the Year award in 2012.

Oswald also led Ocean City to a pair of appearance in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in 2013 and 2014. In 2013, the Nor'easters earned the club's fifth all-time upset of a professional team as they knocked off the Pittsburgh Riverhounds of the USL before narrowly falling to the Philadelphia Union of MLS at PPL Park in the third round.

During Oswald’s five years with the Nor'easters, 40 players have moved on to play the game at the professional level both domestically and overseas, including 11 players who have been selected in the MLS SuperDraft.

The Philadelphia native is also the head coach of the Rutgers University-Camden (RUC) men’s soccer team. During his time at RUC since 2006, he has broken the school record for wins, led the Raptors to four conference championships, five NCAA tournament appearances, and a run to the NCAA Division III national championship game in 2013.

The 2013 NSCAA Division III National Coach of the Year has led RUC to a pair of Top 5 finishes and is one of the winningest college coaches in the country.

“More than anything [in my position as sporting director], I missed the high level of play and working with players that are one step away from playing at the pro level,” Oswald said. “The opportunity to coach a PDL club doesn't always come around a second time, but this will allow me to continue to refine and define myself as a coach. I love the challenge and pressure that comes with it.”

As sporting director, Ness will focus on recruiting and managing players, communicating with professional clubs and creating the club’s 2019 training and match schedule.

“It’s a unique opportunity to return to the Nor’easters and continue to build on the club’s recent success and pick up where we left off as a staff during the 2016 season,” Nuss said.

Nuss left the Nor’easters after the 2016 season to take a job as the general manager of the Cedar Stars Academy where he was able to work with U.S. National Team legend, and current U.S. Under-20 National Team head coach Tab Ramos. Currently, Nuss is the head coach of the nationally-ranked Camden County College men’s soccer program, and is also an assistant coach under Oswald at Rutgers-Camden.

He originally joined the Nor’easters in 2011, starting out as an assistant coach before being named associate head coach in January of 2014. In addition to his role as associate head coach, Nuss was named general manager a few months later.

As general manager, Nuss recruited a number of talented players who moved on to play the game at the next level. Some of the players include 2016 PDL MVP Chevaughn "Chevy" Walsh, who later signed with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL), current Penn FC (USL) captain, and former Philadelphia Union defender Ken Tribbett and current Oklahoma City Energy player Shawn McLaws, who was drafted by the New York Red Bulls (MLS).

“I’m excited to get back to work for the club,” Nuss said. “Oz and I have had great success recruiting the best players in the country to Ocean City, and we hope to pick up where we left off in 2016.”

Roderick brings a wealth of experience to Ocean City as one of the most successful coaches in college soccer history. Since taking over as the head coach Elizabethtown College in 1983, he has led the Blue Jays to more than 500 wins, which ranks 11th among all coaches across all NCAA divisions. He also led the Jays to 18 NCAA Division III tournament appearances and a national championship in 1989.

Oswald played for Roderick from 1997-2000 and was an all-conference selection as a senior at Elizabethtown College.

“Skip has been an inspiration in my coaching career since he recruited me and coached with me at Elizabethtown,” Oswald said. “I think he is an unbelievable coach and one of the very best in the country at any level. He has proved his acumen over time and is still at the top of the class. His ability to teach the game is uncanny and his personality is contagious. I look forward to working with him again on our staff and continuing the success we shared. Although I have had the opportunity to work with many great mentors over the years, Skip has always been the person that showed me the game in a way I had not known and is a testament to any success that I have had.”

Roderick, a Springfield, Pa. native, also had a successful playing career. Some of the highlights include playing for clubs in England (Everton and Brentford), Ireland (Sligo Rovers, 1976 League of Ireland Champions), and the Philadelphia Atoms in the original North American Soccer League.

"When Tim was given the opportunity to return to the Nor'easters coaching helm, it was a no-brainer to work with him again," Roderick said. "I am excited for the opportunity to reunite our dynamic coaching staff since all of us work so well together. We are looking forward to an exciting 2019 season and hope to bring another magical season to Ocean City, America's greatest family resort."

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