Orange County Soccer Club announced today that President of Business Operations Jeff Garner is leaving the club to return home to Pennsylvania and join fellow USL Club Pittsburgh Riverhounds. Garner joined OCSC in 2019 and was responsible for the business operations of the current USL Champions,including ticket sales, corporate partnerships, marketing, and game-day experience.
“Jeff has done a tremendous job for OCSC over the past 3 years, growing the Club revenues, executing numerous events both soccer and non-soccer related, and adding the level of hands-on expertise and professionalism that can only come from 20-plus years of sports management experience,” OCSC Owner and CEO James Keston said. “He has also successfully helped build out a strong bench of executives willing and able to step into leadership positions at the Club with his departure. We thank him for his contributions to the club and wish him and his family nothing but success in Pittsburgh.”
Garner will be replaced by Dan Rutstein, who will take over as acting president of business operations. Rutstein, a former British Diplomat, sports journalist, and tech CEO, has been with OCSC since the beginning of the 2021 season overseeing merchandise, international projects and innovation.
“It’s been an extraordinary few years of growth for the club and I am excited to be part of the team trusted with taking it forward,” Rutstein said. “We have a fantastic team here and we will be working tirelessly to make sure our mix of sports and entertainment excellence is enjoyed by everyone in the Orange County community.”
In other significant front office moves, eight-year OCSC veteran Ray Ferrari will bepromoted to Chief Revenue Officer. Hisham Elkoustaf, who joined the team earlier this year as Chief Strategy Officer and General Counsel will transition to Chief Operating Officer while maintaining his legal role.
The next OCSC match of the 2022 USL Championship season is Saturday, July 16, 2022, at home against Miami FC at 5:00 p.m. at Championship Soccer Stadium at the Great Park in Irvine. For club news and updates, visit OCSC at www.orangecountysoccer.com, download the official team app, and follow OCSC on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
ABOUT ORANGE COUNTY SOCCER CLUB:
Orange County Soccer Club (OCSC) is Orange County’s only professional soccer team and a founding club of the United Soccer League (USL). The USL Championship comprises 27 teams across the United States and is the fastest growing Division II professional soccer league in the world. The team plays its home games at the immaculate 5,500-seat Orange County Great Park Championship Soccer Stadium located in Irvine, CA, a new facility surrounded by world class amenities and 24 soccer fields. OCSC won its first USL Championship in November by defeating the Tampa Bay Rowdies by a score of 3-1 at the 2021 USL Cup. OCSC is dedicated to being the leader in professional player development in the United States, providing the most talented young players in Southern California and across the United States a pathway to professional soccer and to the top leagues around the world. OCSC’s strategic partner is historic European power Rangers Football Club of Glasgow of the Scottish Premier League. In November 2021, OCSC’s 17-year-old center back, Kobi Henry, became the first active USL player to be called up to the full US Men’s National Team for a friendly game against Bosnia and Herzegovina and in June of 2021 Henry was transferred to Ligue 1 side, Stade de Reims in the largest transfer in USL history. Additionally, in 2019 OCSC signed the youngest male in United States soccer history to a professional contract, Francis Jacobs, at the age of 14; Jacobs played in the 2020 Alkass Cup with Rangers in Qatar and will be returning to train with Rangers in the future. OCSC also executed the first ever player move from the USL to the German Bundesliga by sending Bryang Kayo to VFL Wolfsburg in early 2020, followed by the transfer of OC native Aaron Cervantes to Rangers FC in late 2020. OCSC also received the largest transfer fee in league history within the USL for a 2021 intraleague transaction. Club owner and Chief Investment Officer of LARO Properties, James Keston, purchased the club in 2017, re-branded the team as Orange County SC and continues to lead the OCSC management team as Chief Executive Officer. OCSC, alongside its sister organization the 501c3 Orange County Soccer Club Community Foundation, are committed to creating a world-class soccer organization that focuses on the fans, players, and youth clubs of Orange County.