SEASIDE, Calif. (Monday, July 18, 2022) – Monterey Bay F.C. goalkeeper Dallas Jaye has announced today that he will be retiring from professional soccer to pursue coaching. The club’s game against New York Red Bulls II this Saturday, July 23 will be the 29-year-old’s final match before joining the coaching staff at Saint Mary’s College of California.
“I’ve been a professional soccer player for seven years and it has given me the opportunity to live out a dream that I’ve had since I was a kid,” said Jaye. “I’ve been able to share the field, share a locker room and share experiences with incredible teammates, coaches, staff and fans. Experiences that will be with me for a lifetime. It’s something that is definitely hard for me to walk away from, even though the time is right. There’s not a whole lot I can say except that it was a dream come true.”
Since arriving in Seaside ahead of Monterey Bay’s inaugural campaign, Jaye recorded 25 saves in 675 minutes across seven starts, including a clean sheet in the club’s impressive 2-0 victory over Louisville City FC at Lynn Family Stadium in May. Jaye earned USL Championship Goalkeeper of the Week honors in Week 11, and received nominations for Save of the Week twice this season.
“To be a part of the inaugural season here at Monterey Bay has been special. For me, it was also an opportunity to come home,” Jaye explained. “My family got to see more games in the past six months than they got to see in person in my entire career. I will always be a fan of Monterey Bay F.C. and support it from the outside. I fully expect this club to grow and become one of the top clubs in USL, I think it has that potential. To be a part of the first group is something that I will always take pride in.”
Prior to joining the Union, the Danville, California native also took part in Greenville Triumph SC’s inaugural season in USL League One in 2019. Jaye recorded 13 clean sheets in the team’s first season, and his performance between the sticks throughout the year led Greenville to a conference title and an appearance in the championship match. A year later, Jaye and the Triumph returned to the final again, this time finishing what they started the year prior by raising the League One trophy. In total, Jaye spent three seasons with the Triumph and was named the USL League One Goalkeeper of the Year in both 2019 and 2020. In the 2020 campaign, Jaye recorded 32 saves and nine clean sheets in 16 games.
“Dallas has had a very good career, he’s excelled at every level he’s played at,” said Monterey Bay F.C. Sporting Director and Head Coach Frank Yallop. “He’s a great character, he’s a good guy to be around and we wish him all the best in his new coaching venture. He’s off to pastures new, ready to begin the next chapter of his life, and we couldn’t be more supportive of him.”
Internationally, Jaye represented Guam, where he made his international debut in 2012. In his most recent appearance, Jaye took part in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers in October 2021. In total, Jaye earned 22 international caps with Guam.
“It’s hard, it’s bittersweet in a lot of ways, but for me it’s right,” explained Jaye. “I’m fortunate that I will still get to be on the field and put on the cleats every day, just in a different capacity. I’m looking forward to helping the next generation of players coming up, whether it’s in youth soccer or in college. I look forward to helping them grow as people, as players and hopefully help them get the opportunity to play for a club like Monterey Bay F.C. one day. That’s ultimately my goal as a coach is to help players excel in the game and reach their dreams, including the one I got to live out for the last seven years.”
His professional career began in 2016 with FC Cincinnati, where he earned two clean sheets in four total appearances before joining Phoenix Rising FC in 2018. Collegiately, Jaye played in goal for both the University of South Florida and Xavier University. During his senior year at Xavier, Jaye was awarded All-Big East Co-Goalkeeper of the Year and was also named to the All-Big East First Team. In his final season at Xavier, Jaye broke the school record for goals allowed in a single season with nine.
“I have been so fortunate to be around so many great people in my seven years of getting to play professionally,” he said. “My hope is that I left every club that I was a part of better than how I found it. I hope that the guys I played with and the coaches I played for, whether they remember my goalkeeping abilities or not isn’t a big deal to me, but I hope they remember the work ethic, the character, some of the humor I brought to the locker room, and the contributions I made to the clubs I was at.”
Jaye’s final professional match kicks off at 7:00 p.m. this Saturday, July 23 against New York Red Bulls II on Youth Soccer Night at Cardinale Stadium. Tickets to the match are available now, visit montereybayfc.com/tickets for more information.
