CONWAY, S.C. — Long before Adam Perron accepted the position as Coastal Carolina's new head men's soccer coach, the Chanticleers were already part of his plan.

Pinned to a vision board behind his desk while he served as an associate head coach at No. 4 nationally ranked Virginia were images of a national championship trophy and, right beside it, the Chanticleer. For Perron, Coastal wasn't a steppingstone. It was the goal.
"Coastal was my number one," Perron said. "That's an honest answer. I had the Chanticleer on my vision board as the top program I wanted to lead."

That vision has now become reality as Perron takes the reins as Coastal's fifth head coach in program history.

Perron recognizes and respects the program's history. With 15 regular-season conference championships and 17 NCAA Tournament berths to its name, the Coastal Carolina men's soccer team has a tradition worth honoring. While the Chanticleers have faced challenges in recent years, Perron views the moment as an opportunity rather than an obstacle.


"There's a very good past here," Perron said. "That foundation matters. I love the responsibility and the honor of returning this program to the elite level of college soccer in the United States."
Rather than inheriting a finished product, Perron is motivated by the chance to build and create a culture under his own vision.

"What's the fun in jumping into something that's already been built?" Perron said. "I want to create something. I want to build something meaningful."

That drive stems from a lesson instilled in Perron during his playing days by former coach Peter Stees at Colby-Sawyer College, who reminded his teams to "never stop working for what they want in life."

"That statement stuck with me throughout everything that I did," Perron said. "It's who I am."

"I want to bring that blue-collar mentality to this organization, this team, and this culture," he added. "We're going to have a mantra about earning everything we get, and we're going to play with a chip on our shoulder."

Even with that mindset, Perron is fully aware of the challenges that come with competing in one of the nation's toughest leagues, the Sun Belt.

"I probably didn't do myself any favors stepping into my first head coaching job in what's arguably the second- or third-best conference in the country," Perron said. "It's a league I respect tremendously."

While acknowledging the league's prowess, Perron does not see this as a deterrent.

"I am excited to challenge myself, our staff, and our team week in and week out. With that said, we will not be afraid to play against anyone in this league. We won't go into games without bravery, preparation, and belief. Our players will be confident in the game plans we put together and prepared to challenge every opponent. It won't be easy, but I'm very confident in our ability to put together a winning product. I want us to compete among the best. Our goal is to climb the rankings, be in the mix late in the season, and compete for a Sun Belt championship."

For complete coverage of CCU men's soccer, follow the Chants on social media @CoastalMSoccer (X), facebook.com/CCUChanticleers (Facebook), @GoCCUSports (Instagram), or visit goccusports.com.