Orange County Soccer Club has transferred six players to Europe and Tuesday, the club announced that coach Morten Karlsen is the next to depart.
Karlsen, who signed a multi-year contract last November after a successful interim tenure that saw him post a 13-3-2 record, is returning to his native Denmark to become the new coach of Lyngby Boldklub in the Danish Superliga. OCSC will receive compensation for the move.
Assistant coach Paul Hardyman will take over as interim head coach.
“I’d just like to thank the fans here in Orange County. They have been so supportive of me and the boys since the first day I arrived,” Karlsen said in a statement. “We’ve created some great memories together and I don’t think we would have the run we did last year without the support you gave us.
“I also would like to thank our owner James [Keston] and our General Manager Peter Nugent, for allowing me to have the opportunity to coach Orange County. I will be forever grateful for that. The club is in great hands and I will always have Orange County in my heart.”
Morten joined OCSC last February and replaced Richard Chaplow in May as the interim coach.
“I want to thank Morten for what he’s done for Orange County Soccer Club,” Nugent, club President of Soccer Operations and General Manager, said. “As a club, our aim has always been to help our players showcase their talents and realize their dreams of competing at the highest levels in Europe, this also applies to our coaching staff as well.
“What Morten achieved last year, leading the club to a second place finish in the regular season and the conference semifinals attracted attention from a number of clubs and while we are sad to see him leave, we are pleased to see him taking the helm of a top division Danish team in his homeland, which was always a dream of his.”
OCSC (6-6-3, 21 points) is currently eighth in the Western Conference. OCSC defeated Indy Eleven 1-0, last Saturday and will host Oakland Roots SC Saturday.
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