IRVINE, Calif. – Orange County Soccer Club announced on Monday it had agreed to a multi-year contract Head Coach Morten Karlsen, who remains the club’s manager after serving in an interim role over the second half of the 2023 USL Championship season.

Karlsen took over as Interim Head Coach on May 1st having previously joined the club as an assistant coach this past February. Under the Danish coach, Orange County posted a 13-3-2 record to send the club to a 17-11-6 regular season mark and a second-place finish in the Western Conference.

“I am happy, proud and excited to sign a new contract as Head Coach of Orange County,” said Karlsen. “To get the opportunity to continue working with a fantastic group of players as well as a great organization.”

Karlsen was named USL Championship Coach of the Month for July and August, becoming the first coach to win the award in back-to-back months, as the side posted a season-best eight-game winning streak that carried back into the 2023 USL Championship Playoffs.

Prior to joining Orange County SC, Karlsen spent time as a member for his home country Denmark’s technical staff at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. In 2017, Karlsen attained his UEFA Pro Coaching License, the highest UEFA recognized coaching license.

Karlsen also has prior coaching experience as the assistant coach of AGF. He has also served as a head and assistant coach in the Danish Superliga at the professional and U-19 levels. Prior to his coaching career, Karlsen made more than 300 appearances as a player in the Netherlands and Denmark’s top divisions. Karlsen is trilingual, speaking English, Danish and Dutch.