High Point University

High Point University Dept of Athletics
833 Montlieu Avenue High Point, NC 27268

Division 1 North Carolina Southeast

Private Small National competitor

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Coaches

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Zach Haines

Becoming just the fourth Head Coach in HPU men's soccer Division I history, Zach Haines arrived on the HPU campus February 12th, 2019, having spent the previous season with the University of Denver, and six seasons prior with the University or North Carolina-Wilmington.

54-25-13 Overall record in five seasons; 31-1-7 in the Big South Conference

HPU Record GPA for Men's Team: 3.56 in 2022; Above a 3.0 team GPA every semester in Haines’ tenure

2023 1st Round of the NCAA Tournament (Matched up against UNC Charlotte)

2022 2nd Round of the NCAA Tournament (Win over UNC in the 1st Round to advance to play at #5 Stanford)

2020 2nd Round of the NCAA Tournament (Secured bye to face defending National Champions - Georgetown)

2023 Big South Regular Season Champions

2023 Big South Tournament Champions

2023 Big South Coach of the Year

2022 Big South Tournament Champions

2022 Big South Coach of the Year

2020 Big South Conference Double | Regular Season & Tournament Titles

54 Big South All-Conference selections in five seasons

Five straight Big South Tournament Final appearances

Three MLS Draft Picks in Four Seasons: Meyer, Rula, Trent (1st round)

Ranked in the Top 25 in each of the last 3 seasons

Ranked as high as 14th in the country in the 2020 season

19th Ranked Recruiting Class in Division I for 2023/TopDrawerSoccer.com

25th Ranked Recruiting Class in Division I for 2022/TopDrawerSoccer.com

23rd Ranked Recruiting Class in Division I for 2021/TopDrawerSoccer.com

12th Ranked Recruiting Class in Division I for 2020/TopDrawerSoccer.com

2020 End of Season Poll: #23 United Soccer Coaches, #22 in TDS, #23 CSN

3rd Highest Winning Percentage in the Country in 2020

In his fifth season (2023), Haines led HPU to its fifth straight Big South Championship game, resuting in a 1-1 draw with UNC Asheville but advancing on penalty kicks to secure an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Panthers then traveled to UNC Charlotte in the 1st round. Charlotte took that game 1-0. HPU finished 10-4-5 overall, with yet another undefeated Big South Regular season at 6-0-1. High Point landed 10 players on Big South All-Conference teams, and two who were honored with All-Region awards.

In his fourth season (2022), Haines led HPU to program history once again with its fourth straight Big South Championship game, beating Campbell 2-0 to secure an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Panthers then traveled to UNC in the 1st round of the NCAA Tournament, and won 2-0 to advance to play #5 Stanford in the 2nd round. This was the first NCAA tournament win in program history, and the second NCAA 2nd Round appearance for Haines and HPU (2020-21 bye to face Georgetown). HPU finished 11-5-5 overall, with another undefeated Big South Regular season at 5-0-3. Haines added two more Power-5 wins over #7 Maryland and UNC on the road, to go along with a 2019 win at Duke. HPU landed 11 players on Big South All-Conference teams.

In his third season (2021), Haines led HPU to its third straight Big South Championship game. HPU went unbeaten in conference play 5-0-3, and had nine players earn Big South honors. The Panthers finished 8-7-3 overall, securing a third straight winning season.

Haines and the Panthers made program history in his second season (2020-21) as Haines led HPU to its first Big South Tournament Championship in program history, defeating USC Upstate, 3-1. Haines led HPU to a 12-2-0 overall record while going 8-0-0 in the Big South, an NCAA Tournament 2nd Round appearance, and a 3.44 Team GPA. The Panthers won the Big South Regular Season and Tournament to capture their first-ever Big South double. High Point received an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament making its second ever NCAA Tournament appearance. High Point was undefeated at home in the spring season of 2021. The NCAA Second round finish is the furthest an HPU soccer team has made it in the NCAA Tournament. Under Haines in the Spring of 2021 HPU received its first-ever semifinalist for the Mac Hermann Trophy in MD Myers. In the spring of 2021 HPU was ranked in all four National Polls; as high as #14 in the country in 2020-21 Season. HPU finished the spring of 2021 with a final ranking of #23 in the U.S. in United Soccer Coaches Poll. Through two seasons Haines was 25-9-0 overall and had the highest win percentage of any active head coach in DI.

In his first season (2019) with the Panthers, Haines led HPU back to the Big South Championship match with a 13-7-0 record, the most successful season in the first year of a head coach in High Point men’s soccer history and saw Keegan Meyer taken 43rd overall in the MLS SuperDraft, the Purple and White’s first SuperDraft pick in program history. The Panthers won a marquis game at Duke as well as finishing 7-1-0 in the Big South Conference.

Acting as the Pioneers' Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator, Haines helped Denver to a 15-4-2 record on the year, as the side reached as far as the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Under Haines the Pioneers reached as high as No. 3 in the United Soccer Coaches top-25, finishing the year at No. 15 overall. DU finished 2018 as both Summit League Tournament and Regular Season Champs, while boasting the No. 15 scoring offense in all of Division I soccer (2.00).

A native of Jamestown, N.C., Haines spent six years of his coaching career at UNCW before going to Denver, holding the position of Associate Head Coach for three seasons. The Southwest Guilford HS grad helped lead the Seahawks from a 7-11-1 record in his first season, to a 13-5-2 finish, and an NCAA Tournament At-Large bid, in his third year. During his time in Wilmington, UNCW received a pair of NCAA Tournament At-Large Bids, advancing to the second round of the championship in both appearances, as well as two CAA Championships.

The Seahawks received a ranking in the top-25 during each of Haines' last five seasons at UNCW, thrice defeating his alma mater North Carolina as well as four wins in a row versus in-state foe Duke. While in Wilmington, 25 players competing under Haines received All-Conference honors and eight earned All-CAA rookie recognition.

Haines has made a habit of recruiting and producing professional talent with eight of his players at UNCW signing pro contracts between 2012-2017. In 2019 at the University of Denver, two players under Haines' tutelage were selected in the Major League Soccer Superdraft, including NCAA leading goal scorer Andre Shinyashiki (No. 5; Colorado Rapids) and Pioneer defender Scott DeVoss (59th; Orlando City). Haines also coached 2016 MLS pick Colin Bonner (45th; FC Dallas), during his tenure with UNCW, and recruited Vancouver Whitecaps Homegrown signing, Sean Melvin, as well as Atlanta United draft pick Phillip Goodrum, and Seattle Sounders draft pick Danny Reynolds.

Before his successes at the D1 level, Haines also led a Triangle Futbol Club team to the 2011 USL Super-20 National Championship semifinals as a head coach and has also handled coaching duties with North Carolina ODP (Olympic Development Program) and East Chapel Hill High School.

Haines played for Southwest Guilford High School before competing collegiately at North Carolina. As part of the No. 4 recruiting class in the country in 2004, he spent two years playing for the Tar Heels before being forced to take a medical release due to injury in 2006, and later spent time as a Volunteer Coach for UNC in 2009.

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Josh Gillon

Josh Gillon rejoined the High Point University men's soccer coaching staff in May of 2017 after previously serving as an assistant coach with the Panthers from 2013-2015.

Gillon, helped the Panthers to it's fifth consecutive Big South Championship appearance in 2023. HPU advanced to the 1st round of the NCAA Tournament after defeating UNC Asheville in the Conference Championship game. High Point went to Charlotte to face up with UNC Charlotte in the first round of the NCAA's. Gillon helped produce 10 athletes selected to Big South Conference Awards and two who were honored with All-Region Team's.

As an assistant, Gillon helped the Panthers to back-to-back Big South regular season championships in 2017 and 2018, along with an NCAA Championship tournament during the latter campaign. HPU reached as high as No. 12 in the national polls during that 2018 championship run, the highest any High Point team had been ranked at the time. Gillon and the rest of the Purple & White coaching contingency earned 2018 United Soccer Coaches South Region Staff of the Year honors for their record-setting season, the first Panther staff to do so in program history.

In addition to coaching numerous Big South All-Conference selections, athletes learning under Gillon have received a plethora of conference, regional and national recognition. In 2018, High Point defender Johnny Fenwick (San Antonio FC) earned Second Team All-American status for his efforts, in addition to Big South Defensive Player of the Year Accolades. His teammates Ilias Kosmidis and Tony Pineda collected Big South Attacking Player of the Year and Big South Freshman of the Year respectively, while the latter garnered College Soccer News All-American Freshman distinctions. Fenwick and fellow Panther defender Rashid Tetteh (New Mexico United) both earned College Soccer News All-American honors during their time at High Point, while Tetteh also received 2017's Big South Defender of the Year honor.

Fenwick, Tetteh, Kosmidis, Keegan Meyer, Mamadee Nyepon and Adam Sewell were all United Soccer Coaches All-Region selections while playing under Gillon, with all six previously mentioned players earning spots on the NCCSIA All-State Team, along with former Panthers Austin Yearwood (New Mexico United), Renato Punyed (Nybersgund & Nicaraguan National Team), Ebe Kudolo (formerly North Carolina FC), Kody Palmer, and Avery Ryan.

In November of 2016, Gillon was called into the U14 United States National Team as an assistant coach for head coach Clint Peay. Gillon still serves as the Goalkeeper Coach at a United States Soccer Federation Scout. He also spent three seasons as the Goalkeeper Director for North Carolina Fusion of the US Development Academy.

Gillon helped guide the Panthers to the 2015 Big South Conference championship game and he played a key role in the team turning in their best season defensively in program history. HPU recorded nine shutouts last year and only allowed 18 total goals for a 0.82 goals against average on the season.

Gillon last came to HPU after a three-year stint at Catawba College as an assistant coach and goalkeeping coach. He led the charge in recruiting for the Indians and after his first recruiting class saw Catawba improve from 5-12-1 to 11-8-1 in his first year. During his time at Catawba, the Indians posted a .543 winning percentage, winning more games in his first season than the previous three seasons combined.

Gillon began his collegiate coaching career at Saint Leo University, serving as an assistant for two seasons. He also has been the Director of Goalkeeping at the North Carolina Soccer Fusion since 2013. He was the Burke Soccer Association Director of Coaching from 2006-08.

During his coaching career, Gillon has coached several players that have gone on to play professionally. Jonathan Glenn of Saint Leo University led the Icelandic Premier League in goals in 2014 with IBV and was called into the Trinidad & Tobago Men’s National Team for the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Goalkeeper Erik Mozzo has represented the US Virgin Islands in World Cup Qualifiers and is currently playing for Oberliga club Vfl Frohnlach in Germany. Gillon also coached recent HPU grad Renato Punyed, who signed to play professionally with IBV upon graduation.

A number of athletes to play under Gillon are currently in the American football system, including current Memphis 901 FC, and former New York City FC goalkeeper Jeff Caldwell, and San Antonio FC midfielder Leeroy Maguraushe.

During his time at HPU the now Associate Head Coach has directed five former Panthers currently playing in the USL, including All-American Johnny Fenwick (San Antonio FC), United Soccer Coaches All-Region Rashid Tetteh (New Mexico United), NCCSIA All-State Ebe Kudolo (North Carolina FC), Austin Yearwood (New Mexico United) and Ryeong Choi (Greenville Triumph).

In addition to coaching, Gillon also works for ESPN on the sidelines during US National Team, MLS, five NCAA College Cups and several International Friendlies that have included the Brazilian National Team, AC Milan, Chelsea, PSG, Liverpool and others.

A native of Morganton, N.C. and former All-State Goalkeeper at Freedom High School, Gillon now resides with his wife, Lauren, in High Point, N.C.

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Mason Marcey

Mason joins the High Point Soccer Staff as a volunteer assistant following two years as a player at High Point University. Mason played under head coach Zach Haines for his two seasons in purple. In those two seasons Mason captained the 2021-22 team that lost in the NCAA tournament second round after a successful season that included winning the Big South Regular season and Big South tournament, High Points first conference tournament win in program history. Off the field Mason graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Sociology and a Masters in Communications.

Prior to High Point Mason spent 2 seasons at Valparaiso University in the Missouri Valley Conference. Mason finished his junior year with 5 goals and 3 assists which were both team highs.

Mason was born in Sacramento, California but grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina playing for Charlotte Soccer Academy.