ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Eckerd men's soccer head coach
Ian Cameron's summers just got a little busier.
Cameron, in his third year at Eckerd, was announced on Monday, September 17, as the new head coach for the South Georgia Tormenta FC Professional Development League team based in Statesboro, Georgia.
Cameron will remain with Eckerd in his current role while also working with Tormenta during the summer. Â The PDL program prepares to enter its third season while also adding a team as a founding member of the new USL Division 3 professional league.
"I'm humbled to be given the opportunity to join the Tormenta family," Cameron said in the Tormenta FC news release. "Tormenta's PDL team has gone from strength-to-strength under the stewardship of John Miglarese and Ben Freakley. It will be a privilege for me to carry that baton forward as we look to cultivate some of the best young talents in the country for future professional success on and off the field. Darin and Netra Van Tassell have built a club, where their values shine through in every aspect of the organization. Their enthusiasm for Tormenta is infectious, and I can't wait to get started."
The proven developmental leader in North American soccer's evolving tiered structure, the Premier Development League features 74 franchises in four conferences throughout the United States and Canada, including 18 clubs that are owned and operated by a professional club, or that hold a partnership with a professional club. The PDL has proven to be an important stepping-stone for top professionals now playing throughout the world, with more than 70 percent of all MLS selections since 2010 having PDL experience, including 66 selections in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft.