DEARBORN — The Dearborn Stars Soccer Club announced the hiring of its new Head Coach Sam Piraine on Tuesday, Jan. 10.  Piraine becomes the Stars’ seventh head coach in the club’s 30-year history. 

Sam Piraine

The Dearborn Stars Board of Directors led by its president, Dr. Ned Fawaz, held a thorough search. Piraine has been actively involved in many of the state’s top soccer programs.  His vision, soccer acumen, and player development record were cited as reasons for the hiring. 

As a youth he played for Michigan’s famed Vardar Soccer Club. He would go on to star for Madonna University where he was an All-American and two time conference player of the year; his professional career included time spent with the Michigan Bucks, Cincinnati RiverHawks of the ‘A’ League, and a stint with Major League Soccer’s Columbus Crew. Those in the Dearborn community know Piraine best as the person who led the 2006 Crestwood High School Boys soccer team to the state semi-finals.  

“We welcome Sam with open arms, he is a coach with a proven track record who can relate to his players by understanding firsthand the rigors of a competitive schedule, having played at the professional level.  He understands the landscape of (state) soccer and more specifically Dearborn,” Fawaz said. 

The Dearborn Stars were crowned the Michigan Premier Soccer League’s (MPSL) Open Division Champions in 2011 and are celebrating their 30th Anniversary in 2012.  The Stars are currently in pre-season preparations for 2012, where they will be participating in the MPSL’s Premier Division, widely considered the Midwest’s best amateur soccer league.  For more info, visit www.DearbornStars.com.