Perry resigns as Head Men's Soccer Coach; Durham '20, '22 MBA named Interim Head Coach
SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts – American International College Director of Athletics Jessica Chapin announced on Tuesday, February 27 that Luke Perry has resigned his position as the Head Men's Soccer Coach at the College to pursue another opportunity, effective at the end of the day on Friday, March 1.
Assistant Coach Jake Durham '20, '22 MBA has been named Interim Head Coach, while Assistant Coach Derek Pereira '20, '22 MBA has been named Interim Associate Head Coach.
"On behalf of us all, I would first like to thank Luke for his hard work and dedication to our department and the student-athletes. We wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors," Chapin said. "Additionally, I would like to congratulate Jake and Derek on their new roles. They have both been an integral part of our coaching staff for four years and we are confident that under their leadership, our men's soccer program will continue to thrive."
Perry joined the Yellow Jackets in 2013 as an assistant coach and was named the program's leader in 2015. Under his leadership, the team reached the Northeast-10 Conference Tournament in five of the eight seasons in which it was held.
In 2018, the team upended then-No. 15 Le Moyne for the first postseason win in program history, repeating the feat by downing then-No. 6 Adelphi the following year, and in 2021 set a program record with 15 wins, including the first-ever trip to the NE10 Championship Game and to the NCAA Tournament, where the squad won its debut 4-0 against Molloy. In what stands as his final game with the Yellow Jackets, Perry's squad drew 0-0 in the NE10 Quarterfinal with defending and eventual repeat national champion No. 1 Franklin Pierce, giving the Ravens their first result other than a win in more than a season and a half.
Both Durham and Pereira graduated from AIC and were captains of the men's soccer team under Perry before joining his coaching staff, first as graduate assistants from 2020-22 and then as full-time assistant coaches. Durham was a four-time NE10 All-Conference selection at forward and midfield, scoring 22 goals and 13 assists in 66 games, including the double-overtime winner in the victory against Adelphi in 2019 as part of a First-Team All-Conference campaign. Pereira was a stalwart defender for the Yellow Jackets across 30 games played, and was instrumental to the team's success in stopping the opposition in both 2018 and 2019.