Perez joins men’s soccer coaching staff, Chameraud named associate head coach

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Wednesday, June 22, 2016 Perez joins men’s soccer coaching staff, Chameraud named associate head coach

2015 senior Fernando Perez joins MSUB’s men’s soccer coaching staff as a volunteer assistant coach, and current assistant Thomas Chameraud is promoted to associate head coach leading into the fall 2016 season.

BILLINGS, Mont. – The Montana State University Billings men’s soccer team added alumnus Fernando Perez to its coaching staff, while promoting current assistant coach Thomas Chameraud to associate head coach in an announcement made by head coach Alex Balog Wednesday.

Perez completed his two-year career at MSUB in the fall of 2015, after transferring from Laramie County Community College at the beginning of his junior season. Playing in 31 matches in his two seasons, Perez scored a pair of goals and totaled 29 shots playing primarily as a defensive midfielder in the center of the field.

Perez had a dramatic game-winning goal at home last October, scoring in the 51st minute to lead the Yellowjackets to a 1-0 win over Northwest Nazarene. In all, Perez totaled 1,875 minutes in his two seasons at MSUB. “I’m very excited to see another one of our alums stay with the program,” Balog commented on the addition of Perez.

“Fernando has had a great career at MSUB and is well-respected by his former teammates. With the big recruiting class

we have coming in, we will be able to use his experience, and knowledge of the program and conference to help our newcomers hit the ground running.”

Like Perez, Chameraud began with the coaching staff directly after his all-region playing career ended in 2012 and has been on staff as an assistant coach ever since. He has been Balog’s second-in-command and has assumed major responsibilities in his role as an assistant.

“The tireless work and hours Thomas has put in are paying off, and this is another step for him in his progress towards becoming a head coach,” Balog said. “His responsibilities will now increase, but he’s proven on a consistent basis the last four years that he will be up for it.”

In addition to Perez and Chameraud, alumnus Kyle Emerick will return as a volunteer assistant coach for a second season this fall. The Yellowjackets have three preseason exhibition games scheduled in late August, before beginning their regular season in California on Sept. 1 at Cal Poly Pomona. MSUB’s first regular season home games will be at the thirdannual Trevor Wildberger Rimrock Classic, running Sept. 9-11 at Yellowjacket Field.

Thomas Chameraud (left) has been promoted to associate head coach after serving as assistant coach next to Alex Balog since the end of his playing career at MSUB in 2012.

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