Kalonji, a record-setting attacker at Ramapo College and former MetroStars player, comes to the Scarlet Raider helm from a two-year stint as a player for the Carolina Dynamo of the United Soccer League during which time he served as an assistant men’s soccer coach for Greensboro College.

“Nansha’s enthusiasm for the game and his knowledge of our conference make him a solid fit for our program,” said Griffin. “He’s got experience as a player at the professional level and the energy to help our team to the next level.”

“This is something (being a head coach) that I’ve wanted since I started as an assistant,” Kalonji stated. “I’m as excited as I was about my first season as a professional player. I look forward to the challenge.”

Born in Belgium, Kalonji lived in The Congo, Germany and France before coming to the United States. He was the Jersey City Player of the Year as a senior at Ferris High School while reaping all-state and all-conference honors.

At Ramapo, Kalonji was named to the National Soccer Coaches Association/Umbro All-Mid Atlantic team as well as the all-state team in 1996 and 1997. He was selected as a first-team All-New Jersey Athletic Conference player after netting a school-record 19 goals as a senior captain in 1997, leading the Roadrunners to an NCAA tournament berth and 16 wins. Kalonji also set the Roadrunner season record for assists with 24 in 1994. He received his bachelor of science in social science from Ramapo in 2002.

A broken leg ended a three-year career with the MetroStars for Kalonji in 2001. He broke into the professional ranks in 1999 with the New Jersey Reptiles of the U.S. Independent Soccer League.

Before his three-year tenure as an assistant coach at Greensboro under head coach Rusty Scarborough, Kalonji was an assistant men’s soccer coach for the 2000 season at West Orange High School. He started his coaching career while still a student as an assistant at Ramapo College, coaching the Queen of Peace High School junior varsity boys’ team in 1999.