HIGH POINT, N.C. —The High Point University men's soccer program is in great hands.

College Soccer News recognized HPU Men's Soccer Head Coach Zach Haines as a "Next Generation Legend" alongside Jamie Franks (Denver), Kevin Hudson (SMU), Nick Carlin-Voigt (Portland), Chris Grassie (Marshall), Rob Dow (Vermont), and Dan Stratford (West Virginia). The full release can be viewed on CollegeSoccerNews.Com.
 
Haines entered his seventh season in 2025 ranked No. 23 of the winningest active head coaches behind a 65-29-15 record in all of Division I men's soccer. The head coach has added onto that percentage, not losing yet with six wins and three draws to boost his career record to 71-29-18.
 
With that success, the Panthers are ranked the highest the program or school ever has been at No. 7 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll, which is the top NCAA.com poll. Haines' track record of competing and beating top teams has continued into this unbeaten season.
 
After becoming the first program in school and Big South history to beat a No. 1 team last year on the road at Pittsburgh, High Point has beaten CSN's No. 8 team Georgetown in the season opener before drawing with No. 10 Marshall and No. 10 West Virginia this season.
 
Since Haines took the reins in 2019, the Panthers have defeated: No. 1 Pitt, No. 7 Maryland, North Carolina, Duke, and No. 25 Coastal Carolina. HPU tied No. 2 Georgetown in 2022 before beating the No. 8/14/25 Hoyas in the 2025 season opener. Additionally, to add onto that list as mentioned, the Panthers tied No. 10 Marshall and West Virginia in 2025. 
 
Haines and his staff — made up of Josh Gillon, Mason Marcey, Toney Anderson, Johnny Fenwick, and Taylor Johnson — have had five consecutive Top-25 nationally-ranked recruiting classes by TopDrawerSoccer.com. Recently, USA Recruiting named HPU as a top "Program to Watch" as High Point's staff continues to recruit at a high level.

The three-time Big South Coach of the Year has led his team to six straight Big South Championship appearances, while winning three tournament trophies to pair with three regular-season titles. In 2022, Haines coached the Panthers to the program's first NCAA Tournament win, a 2-0 win over his alma mater North Carolina. 
 
With Haines' leadership, High Point sits atop the list with Georgetown, Wake Forest, Denver, and Seattle for the most DI wins for private schools. The Panthers are the only Big South school to be unbeaten on the road in Big South play since September 2016 when the Panthers lost to Presbyterian 2-1 in OT.  Coach Haines has never lost a Big South regular-season road game and is 39-1-8 in league play.

He's coached 63 Big South All-Conference selections and has had three players drafted in the MLS over four seasons. The success continues off the field as all six teams have had a 3.0 GPA or better in every season. In 2024, the Panthers recorded a 3.57 GPA for the program's highest ever.