Omar Jarun
Birth date10 December 1983 (age 42)
Birth placeKuwait City, Kuwait
Height1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)
PositionCentre-back
CurrentclubAustin FC II (assistant)
Collegeyears 12002–2003
College 1Memphis Tigers
Collegecaps 135
Collegegoals 18
Collegeyears 22004–2005
College 2Dayton Flyers
Collegecaps 239
Collegegoals 219
Years 12004
Clubs 1Fort Wayne Fever
Caps 16
Goals 11
Years 22005
Clubs 2Chicago Fire Premier
Caps 22
Goals 20
Years 32006–2007
Clubs 3Atlanta Silverbacks
Caps 345
Goals 31
Years 42008
Clubs 4Vancouver Whitecaps
Caps 424
Goals 41
Years 52009–2010
Clubs 5Flota Świnoujście
Caps 532
Goals 51
Years 62010
Clubs 6Pogoń Szczecin
Caps 612
Goals 60
Years 72011
Clubs 7FC Tampa Bay
Caps 77
Goals 70
Years 82011–2012
Clubs 8Arka Gdynia
Caps 820
Goals 81
Years 92012–2013
Clubs 9Charleroi
Caps 92
Goals 90
Years 102014
Clubs 10Ottawa Fury
Caps 1016
Goals 102
Years 112015
Clubs 11Bharat FC
Caps 1113
Goals 113
Years 122016–2017
Clubs 12Peachtree City MOBA
Caps 129
Goals 123
Totalcaps188
Totalgoals13
Nationalyears 12007–2014
Nationalteam 1Palestine[1]
Nationalcaps 115
Nationalgoals 10
Manageryears 12017
Managerclubs 1Peachtree City MOBA (assistant)
Manageryears 22018
Managerclubs 2Peachtree City MOBA
Manageryears 32018–2022
Managerclubs 3Atlanta United (academy)
Manageryears 42023–2025
Managerclubs 4Huntsville City (assistant)
Manageryears 52025–
Managerclubs 5Austin FC II (assistant)

Omar Jarun (Arabic: عمر جعرون;[2] born 10 December 1983) is a former footballer who is the assistant coach of Austin FC II in MLS Next Pro. Born in Kuwait, he represented Palestine internationally.

Jarun has played professionally in the United States, Canada, Poland, Belgium, and India.

Early and personal life

Jarun was born in Kuwait City, Kuwait to an American mother and a Palestinian father from Tulkarem. Jarun emigrated to the United States during the First Gulf War in 1990; his family escaped after bombs went off and missiles were shot near their apartment.[3] He was raised in Peachtree City, Georgia.[4][5]

Playing career

Club career

Jarun played college soccer for the University of Memphis and the University of Dayton, and has played club football for Fort Wayne Fever, Chicago Fire Premier, Atlanta Silverbacks, Vancouver Whitecaps, Flota Świnoujście, Pogoń Szczecin, FC Tampa Bay, Arka Gdynia and Charleroi.[1]

He was released by Pogon on 1 March 2011.[6]

Jarun signed with FC Tampa Bay of the North American Soccer League on 29 March 2011.[7]

Jarun after brief spell with FC Tampa Bay he signed a contract with Arka Gdynia, under Petr Nemec, who was the manager that brought Jarun to Poland when he was the Flota Świnoujście manager.[8]

On 7 January 2014 Jarun signed for NASL club Ottawa Fury FC.[5][9]

Jarun signed for I-League club Bharat FC on 20 March 2015 for an 18-month deal completing the club's Asian player quota.[10][11]

In June 2015 he announced his retirement from professional football.[12][13] However, on 16 April 2016, it was announced that Jarun joined Premier Development League club Peachtree City MOBA.[14]

International career

Jarun made his international debut for the Palestinian national team in 2007,[1] and has appeared in FIFA World Cup qualifying matches, AFC Challenge Cup, WAFF Championship.[15]

Coaching career

Following one season as a player for Peachtree City, Jarun became an assistant for the club prior to the 2017 PDL season, as owner Volker Harms took over manager duties. 2017 was a dismal season for MOBA, as they went 2-10-2 and finished last place in the division, failing to qualify for the playoffs for the second straight year. Jarun was named manager of the club for the 2018 season in November 2017, with former Jamaican international Nicholas Addlery being hired as an assistant. Alongside his duties as manager, Jarun was also a member of the MOBA youth coaching staff.[16]

In October 2018 he became manager of the Atlanta United FC Academy.[17]

In June 2021 he became assistant coach of Atlanta United 2 in the USL Championship.

On January 18, 2023, Jarun was named to the first-ever technical staff for MLS Next Pro club Huntsville City, the reserve side for Nashville SC.[18]

On September 23, 2025, Jarun was named assistant coach for Austin FC II, the MLS Next Pro reserve team for Austin FC.[19]

References

  1. ^
  2. ^ "ar:جعرون: الكرة الفلسطينية تطورت بشكل كبير" (in Arabic). FIFA. 6 March 2013. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
  3. ^ Montague, James (2014). Thirty-one nil : on the road with football's outsiders : a World Cup odyssey. Bloomsbury. p. 20. ISBN 9781408158845.
  4. ^ "Dayton Flyers Host Valparaiso Crusaders in Final Tune Up Before Regular Season". Archived from the original on 19 December 2013. Retrieved 14 February 2013.
  5. ^ "Fury FC Add Size and Experience at Centre Back Position Signing Omar Jarun". Ottawa Fury FC. Archived from the original on 8 January 2014. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  6. ^ Omar Jarun odchodzi z Pogoni Archived 21 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine 1.03.2011, pogonszczecin.info
  7. ^ "FC Tampa Bay Makes Three Signings". Archived 1 April 2011 at the Wayback Machine.
  8. ^ Jarun zagra w Arce Gdynia Archived 6 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine 10.07.2011, futbol.pl
  9. ^ "Ottawa Fury FC Adds Defender Jarun". Archived 7 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine.
  10. ^ "Palestine international Omar Jarun becomes Bharat FC's fourth foreign player". 13 March 2015. Archived from the original on 7 July 2015. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
  11. ^ Shah, Harsh (13 March 2015). "Bharat FC sign Palestine international Omar Jarun". Goal.com. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  12. ^ Bharat FC (9 June 2015). "#BharatFC's Omar Jarun has announced his retirement from professional football! Thanks for everything BIG O! go well!". No. 608148566607945728.
  13. ^ "Mumbai v Bharat Live Commentary & Result, 30/05/15, I-League | Goal.com". www.goal.com
  14. ^ Peachtree City MOBA (16 April 2016). "Former Pro Omar Jarun is joining PDL Team #PeachtreeCityMoba #path2pro". No. 721481834627002368.
  15. ^
  16. ^ "MOBA Soccer Academy Announces 2018 PDL Team Peachtree City MOBA Coaches". MOBA Soccer Academy. November 2017. Retrieved 2 January 2017.[dead link]
  17. ^ "Omar Jarun joins Atlanta United's staff". footballpalestine.com. 8 October 2018.
  18. ^ "Huntsville City FC Names Former Premier League Midfielder Jack Collison as the First Head Coach in Team History". MLSNextPro.com. MLS Next Pro. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  19. ^ "Austin FC II". Austin FC II. September 23, 2025. Retrieved September 29, 2025.