Eric Gabriel joined the High Point University men's basketball staff as the team's first-ever Director of Video Operations in 2013 and was promoted to assistant coach in 2015.
Since Gabriel joined the HPU staff in 2013, the Panthers were one of just four programs in the nation to have won four-consecutive regular season conference championships from 2013-16. The others were Kansas, Gonzaga and Stephen F. Austin. The Panthers lead the Big South in conference wins, conference winning percentage and postseason appearances over the past five years.
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During Gabriel's tenure, HPU has set a number of program firsts. In 2014-15, HPU set new Div. I program records for wins (23), conference wins (13) and road wins (9) while picking up the first postseason victory in the program’s Div. I era. In 2015-16, HPU matched that conference win total and set a new record with seven league road victories. HPU won 20 games in back-to-back seasons for the first time since the mid 1990s and the first time in the program's Div. I history.
The Panthers reached the National Invitation Tournament for the second time in three seasons in 2015-16 and have now played in the postseason in each of the past four campaigns.
Prior to his assistant coach role, Gabriel served as director of player development in 2014-15. As director of video operations in 2013-14, he oversaw all of the team's filming and video breakdown, assisting HPU's coaching staff with both opponent scouting and player development. The University invested in top-of-the-line computers and editing software that further enhanced the team's video efforts during Gabriel's tenure.
Gabriel came to the Triad from Shepherd University, where he served as an assistant coach. He also previously worked at Mount Olive College and Methodist University.
Gabriel spent the 2012-13 season at Shepherd University where he helped the Rams to a 15-12 record, which was the team's highest win total since 2003-04. The team also posted its highest conference finish since the 1993-94 season. Gabriel's responsibilities included serving as the recruiting coordinator, strength and conditioning coordinator and head of scouting opponents.
Prior to his time at Shepherd, Gabriel served as an assistant coach at Mount Olive College for three seasons and led the Trojans to the Conference Carolinas regular season and tournament titles in 2009-10. Prior to that, Gabriel served as an assistant coach at Methodist University, in Fayetteville, N.C., for one season.
He began his coaching career with stops at Alexander High School and Fort Loramie High School in Ohio from 2004-08. Gabriel served as an assistant at Alexander under his father - who holds the all-time wins record at the school - and helped the Spartans set a regular season record for wins in 2005-06 and earn a conference championship. He then became head coach at Loramie and won 15 games in his second season after inheriting a five-win team upon his appointment in 2006.
Gabriel was a four-year member of the West Liberty University men's basketball team in West Liberty, W.Va., from 2000-04. He was a three-year starter at point guard and was co-captain his senior season.
Gabriel graduated from West Liberty in 2004 with a degree in Elementary Education. He received a master's degree in Sport and Recreation Sciences from Ohio University in 2011.
Eric and his wife, Misty, were married in 2007 and reside in High Point.
