The National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) is proud to announce that Orange County FC (South Orange County, CA) has joined the league as an expansion team. The club will compete in the West Region’s Southwest Conference.
“We are thrilled to welcome Orange County Football Club to the National Premier Soccer League,” NPSL Chairman Joe Barone commented. “We continue to attract strong interest from teams in Southern California that share the NPSL’s vision and appreciate our cooperative membership structure as a foundation for their success.”
OCFC is led by the ownership group of Nader Dejbakhsh, Carmel Dejbakhsh, and Dara Dejbakhsh.
Nader is the President and Co-Founder of DND Groups, Inc., which owns and operates 14 Burger Kings and six Dairy Queens in four states, employing over 500 people. He has been in the restaurant franchise business since 2002. Prior to DND Groups, Inc., he owned and operated as the largest franchisee of Mrs. Fields Cookies in the nation with 52 stores. He had an accounting firm for over 12 years before becoming involved in the restaurant business. He also holds a national “D” coaching license and has coached in various levels from high school to club soccer. He also played NCAA Division I soccer for four years in addition to serving as a referee at the collegiate level.
Carmel is the Vice President of Public Relations for Orange County FC. She has been involved with the soccer business side of their ventures since 2008. She has managed the back office of the organization to date, including public relations and social media.
Dara is the CEO and Co-Founder of DND Groups. Inc. He additionally owns Tru Clean, Inc., a commercial cleaning company, and RSP International, an import and export company. Prior to DND Groups, Inc., he was the COO & Executive Vice President of Mrs. Field Famous Brands and Vice President of Operations of Allied Domecq. Additionally he has served as a board member of many publicly traded companies.
Bryan Wallace will serve as Head Coach and Director of Soccer for Orange County FC. A coach with 20 years of experience, Wallace was the 2012 Cal South Coach of the Year and has won five Cal South National Cup titles. He holds a USSF “B” coaching licenses and represented Jamaica at the U17 and U20 levels.
“We bring an attractive brand of combination soccer and an organized attacking and defending style that’s unique,” OCFC CEO and Founder Nader Dejbakhsh added. “At this point we feel that NPSL offers us the best competition and platform for the future of our club.”
OCFC are the current SoCal Premier U23 champions. They recently recorded an impressive undefeated season, going 13-0, after scoring 59 goals and allowing only eight in all competitions. Notable players for OCFC are Patrick Ianni, former Seattle Sounders and U.S. Olympic standout, and Tomas Canali, a current member of the US National Beach Soccer Team and a veteran of two Beach Soccer World Cups.
More information about the club can be found at www.ocfcsoccer.com or by following the club on Facebook (@ocfcsoccer), Twitter (@ocfcsoocer), and Instagram (@orangecountyfc).
