Nansha Kalonji was a record-setting attacker at Ramapo College, former MetroStars player, and former player for the Carolina Dynamo of the United Soccer League. He enters his second year as an assistant coach for the Ramapo men’s soccer team. He was born in Belgium, and lived in The Congo, Germany and France before coming to the United States. He returns to his alma mater after graduating in 2003 with a bachelor of science in social science.
While at Ramapo, Kalonji was named to the NSCA/Umbro All-Mid Atlantic team as well as the all-state team in 1996 and 1997. He was selected as a 1st Team All-NJAC player after netting a school-record 19 goals as a senior captain in 1997, leading the Roadrunners to a NCAA tournament berth and 16 wins. Kalonji also set the Roadrunner season record for assists with 21 in 1994. For his efforts on the field, Coach Kalonji was inducted into the Ramapo College Hall of Fame in April of 2007.
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.
Kalonji has served as an assistant coach at West Orange High School before moving on to assist with the Greensboro College men’s team. He started his coaching career while still a student, as an assistant at Ramapo College and head coach of the Queen of Peace High School junior varsity boys’ team in 1999. He moved into the college head coaching ranks in 2004 when he took over the Scarlet Raider program at Rutgers Newark.
