Illinois College

Jacksonville, IL 62650

Illinois Midwest

Private Small Developing team

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Coaches

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Hunter Gray

Hunter Gray enters his fourth year as head coach of the Illinois College Lady Blues women's soccer team in the 2023 season. Gray brings an extensive coaching background with him to the Hilltop, having coached for more than 25 years in the state of Alabama, accumulating more than 300 wins along the way. In the past three seasons, he has added responsibilities at two NCAA schools, working this past season at Lees-McRae College as a men's assistant and men's and women's goalkeepers coach.

A Division I soccer player at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, Gray began coaching at Indian Springs School in Birmingham in 1993. Since then, he has racked up 343 victories, making him the active leader in coaching wins in the state of Alabama for girls' soccer. His teams were state champions in 2003 and 2005, and runners-up in 2004 and 2008. Additionally, the program has made seven other Final Fours over that time.

Beginning in 2018, Gray began coaching at the Division III level, first with a stint as a volunteer women's soccer coach at Birmingham-Southern College. In his first season with the program, the Panthers had their most wins in program history. This past season, Gray became a men's assistant coach and a men's and women's goalkeepers coach at Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, N.C.

Gray holds a United States Soccer Federations (USSF) "B" license and a United Soccer Coaches (USC) Goalkeeping Level I certification.

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Evan Philpott

The 2024 season will be the sixth for Evan Philpott as the head coach of the Illinois College men's soccer program.

Under Philpott's direction, the Blueboys experienced a season for the ages in 2023. IC finished the campaign with a 10-5-3 overall record which tied for the most victories in school history. IC won the Midwest Conference title after going 5-1-2 in league play and hosted the conference's postseason tournament for the first time in program history. Philpott put an exclamation on the season by becoming the all-time winningest coach in program history with his 36 victories.

The Blueboys' success on the pitch didn't go unnoticed by their peers. Philpott was named the 2023 Midwest Conference Coach of the Year and was joined on the conference postseason award list by Defensive Player of the Year Albert Nimako and Newcomer of the Year Reed Rogers. In all, five Blueboys were named first team all-conference (Tyler Lunning, Toby Ybarra, Owen Macias, Nimako and Rogers) while two (Jives Efemini and Brock Kennell) were second team selections.

Philpott and the Blueboys continued their winning ways in 2022, posting nine victories and once again, Tyler Schiltz was named first team all-conference.

In 2021, Philpott led the Blueboys a then-school record 10 victories which was highlighted by Schiltz being named first team all-conference and Thomas Menke landing on the second team.

Previously, Philpott had led the Jacksonville High School boys' soccer program since 2012. He is currently an ODP staff member with Illinois Youth Soccer Association, and also the head coach of Springfield F.C. who competes in the UPSL Division I League.

Shortly after a four-year playing career at Eastern Illinois University, Philpott took over as the head coach at Jacksonville High School. In seven seasons with the Crimsons, Philpott won more than 100 matches, earned a Central State Eight title, won two regionals, and guided the 2016 team to the state tournament, where it finished fourth in Class 2A.

In his tenure, 54 members of the JHS program earned all-conference honors. Philpott was the recipient of two IHSSCA Region 7 Coach of the Year awards and was named IHSSCA Region 7 Person of the Year in 2018. In 2019, Philpott was inducted into the Jacksonville High School Sports Hall of Fame.

A 2011 graduate of Eastern Illinois, Philpott also earned a Master's of Sports Science degree in Coaching from the United States Sports Academy. He also holds a United Soccer Coaches Premier Diploma, a U.S. Youth Soccer License, and has a United States Soccer Federation C License.

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John Antoine

John Antoine begins his third season as the assistant coach of the Illinois College Blueboys men's soccer program in the 2023-24 season.

Antoine returns to Illinois College after being a former player and team captain for the Blueboys in 2019. After graduating from Illinois College, Antoine became a US Soccer 11v11 Grassroots Certified Coach and has been working as an assistant youth soccer coach.

Antoine graduated from Illinois College in 2019 with a bachelor's in business management and a minor in communication. He was a significant starter for the Blueboys in the 2018 season ranking third on the team in scoring with two goals, two assists, and six points on the year.