Assistant Coach
Former USL player and Butler and Oakland University Assistant Coach Jason Perry joined Indy Eleven as Assistant Coach in January of 2026. The Southfield, Michigan, native comes to the First Team after coaching for the Indy Eleven Academy, working with all MLS NEXT Pro teams in Homegrown and Academy Divisions. In addition to his coaching duties, he also worked for a consultant agency helping get domestic youth soccer players connected and committed to universities across the country.
At Butler, Perry was an Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator from 2012-23, helping the Bulldogs to 97 victories and playing a large role in transitioning Butler’s program from the Horizon League to the Atlantic 10 and the BIG EAST.
The Bulldogs made NCAA Tournament appearances in 2016, 2017, and 2019. The Butler coaching staff was named the 2017 BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year. That season, Butler went 8-1 in the BIG EAST, winning the regular season title and earning the top seed in the BIG EAST Tournament. The Bulldogs finished 14-5-2 and ranked 12th in the United Soccer Coaches poll.
Butler earned an at-large berth to the 2017 NCAA Tournament, advancing to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1995 and the third time in program history. Current Indy Eleven goalkeeper Eric Dick was named a First-Team United Soccer Coaches All-American and BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year, while earning BIG EAST First-Team Honors. He also was named to the All-Great Lakes Region first-team, a first-team Scholar All-American, and a North/Central Region All-Scholar Athlete.
In 2016, the Butler coaching staff was named the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Great Lakes Region Staff of the Year for Division I, leading the Bulldogs to an impressive 13-5-2 overall record. Butler won its first BIG EAST championship and earned the #15 overall seed in the 2016 NCAA Tournament, the Bulldogs’ first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2010.
Former Indy Eleven player Zach Steinberger was drafted eighth overall in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft by the Houston Dynamo. Bulldog Wilmer Cabrera, Jr. in 2019 and former Boys in Blue player David Goldsmith in 2013 — earned BIG EAST Freshman of the Year honors.
A former standout player and 2003 graduate of Oakland, Perry helped the Golden Grizzlies to a pair of Summit League titles and a trip to the NCAA Men’s Soccer Tournament during his three seasons (2009-12) as a coach for his alma mater.
In addition to his duties with the Golden Grizzlies, Perry also served as an assistant coach for the Michigan Crew-Academy Wolves of a U.S. Development Academy.
Perry joined the staff at Oakland following a two-year stint as Executive Director, Director of Coach and Player Development with the Flower City Soccer League in Rochester, N.Y. In his position with the league, he managed an average of 500-600 inner city youth dispersed over 48 teams with 35-45 coaches. He organized indoor and outdoor tournaments and participated in training sessions. He also assisted in the development of the Flower City Academy, a program where local college students and former professionals volunteer an academic tutoring service for FCSL participants.
Perry played professionally with three different teams from 2004-07. He was selected in the fifth round of the 2004 MLS SuperDraft by the Los Angeles Galaxy, after participating in the MLS Combine. He then played one season with the Syracuse Salty Dogs of the USL A League, before joining the Rochester Raging Rhinos of the USL First Division for two seasons. During his time at Rochester, he was a two-time recipient of the Iacovangelo Community Service Award Player of the Year and a three-time USL-1 Team of the Week selection.
Perry was a third-team All-American at Oakland University. The three-time All-Summit League defender earned All-Region honors. A three-year team captain, Perry became the first Oakland player to be named Summit League Defensive Player of the Year as a senior, and later became the first Oakland player to be drafted by a pro soccer organization. The Lepley Senior Scholar-Athlete Award recipient was inducted into Oakland’s Lepley Hall of Honor in 2014.
Perry holds a US Soccer National C License.
