Josh Gillon has played a central role in High Point University men’s soccer’s rise to national prominence, helping build a program defined by championship success, nationally ranked recruiting classes and a growing pathway to professional soccer. The Panthers’ associate head coach has been part of all five NCAA Tournament appearances in program history, including the historic 2025 campaign that culminated in High Point’s first NCAA Sweet Sixteen appearance.
Since joining Zach Haines staff in 2019, the High Point University men's soccer program has the third most wins for a private school in Division I men's soccer behind Georgetown and Wake Forest.
Gillon has helped High Point capture 11 Big South championships in just 13 seasons, including seven regular-season titles and four tournament crowns. The Panthers have swept both championships three times during his tenure and, in 2026, became the first program in Big South men’s soccer history to win four consecutive outright regular-season titles. He's twice being named one of the Top Assistant Coaches in all of college soccer by TopDrawerSoccer.com.
The 2025 season established a new standard for High Point. The Panthers finished 14-2-4, earned a program-best No. 10 national seed overall in the NCAA Tournament, earning a bye in the first round and hosted a second-round match at Vert Stadium for the first time. A memorable 3-2 victory over West Virginia sent HPU to the Sweet Sixteen in front of 4,913 fans, marking the program’s second NCAA Tournament victory and its deepest postseason run in any sport. High Point also captured both the Big South regular-season and tournament championships, completing a perfect 9-0 record against conference opponents across the regular season and tournament, while only conceding a single goal via a penalty.
High Point’s success in 2025 extended across the national rankings and individual awards. The Panthers climbed as high as No. 5 nationally and became the first program in Big South history to sweep all eight major annual conference awards, including Coaching Staff of the Year. HPU opened the season with a victory over nationally ranked Georgetown and earned draws against ranked Marshall and West Virginia teams.
The momentum continued in 2026 as Gillon helped High Point secure its fourth consecutive outright Big South regular-season championship, becoming the first program in conference history to accomplish the feat. The Panthers reached No. 7 nationally, earned a 3-2 road victory over No. 11 Virginia and finished conference play unbeaten at 5-0-2. High Point collected six major conference awards and placed 11 players on All-Conference teams, while Gillon and his colleagues again earned Big South Coaching Staff of the Year recognition. The Panthers haven't lost a league game on the road in the Big South Conference since September 2016.
Player development was equally prominent. Daniel Lugo earned United Soccer Coaches All-America honors after scoring 14 goals, including a program-record seven game-winners, and was named a TopDrawerSoccer National Player of the Year finalist. Jefferson Amaya became High Point’s first United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-American and completed a remarkable career in which he won a different major Big South award in each of four consecutive seasons. Six Panthers earned recognition on TopDrawerSoccer’s postseason national and freshman Top 100 lists.
Those achievements followed years of breakthrough results against nationally ranked opposition. In 2018, Gillon helped the Panthers earn a 1-0 road victory over No. 5 Duke, highlighting a championship season that produced High Point’s first NCAA Tournament appearance and United Soccer Coaches South Region Staff of the Year recognition. The Panthers returned to Durham for another 1-0 victory over Duke in 2019.
High Point added another signature road result in 2022, rallying from a halftime deficit to defeat No. 7 Maryland, 2-1, at Ludwig Field. That season culminated in the program’s first NCAA Tournament victory, a 2-0 shutout at North Carolina that advanced the Panthers to the second round. In 2024, HPU reached another milestone with a 1-0 victory at No. 1 Pittsburgh—the first win over a top-ranked opponent in school and Big South men’s soccer history. These results helped establish the national foundation for the Panthers’ historic 2025 postseason run.
Gillon has helped sustain that success through recruiting. High Point’s 2026 class was ranked No. 12 nationally by TopDrawerSoccer, marking the program’s sixth nationally ranked class in seven seasons and matching its highest recruiting ranking during that span. The group combined accomplished transfers with nationally recognized freshmen, bringing experience from MLS NEXT Pro, the USL Championship and international youth national teams.
The program’s recruiting and development efforts have also created opportunities at the professional level. High Point became the first Big South program to have three players selected in the same MLS SuperDraft when Daniel Lugo was chosen by Vancouver Whitecaps FC with the 29th overall pick, Jefferson Amaya by Real Salt Lake at No. 42 and Koven Johnson by the Colorado Rapids at No. 70 in the 2026 draft. Those three draft picks were the most of any team in the country. HPU also sent three players to the preceding MLS College Showcase, the most representatives of any program in the country.
That professional pathway includes goalkeeper Holden Trent, High Point’s first MLS SuperDraft first-round selection, who helped anchor the Panthers’ first NCAA Tournament victory in 2022. Other professional alumni coached during Gillon’s time at HPU include: Johnny Fenwick, Rashid Tetteh, Austin Yearwood, Brendan Krueger, Jefferson Amaya, Daniel Lugo, Koven Johnson, Keegan Meyer, Seth Antwi, Austin, Finn McRobb, Jonathan Bolanos, Sebastian Chalbaud, Holland Rula, Mamadee Nyepon, MD Meyers, Lukas Kamrath and Renato Punyed.
Beyond HPU, Gillon’s coaching experience includes an assistant coaching assignment with the United States Youth National Team in 2016 and 2017. Previous collegiate positions include Catawba College of the SAC and Saint Leo University of the Sunshine State Conference. As a goalkeeper coach, his development work has helped produce four MLS Goalkeepers, Alec Smir (Minnesota United), Holden Trent (Philadelphia Union), Keegan Meyer (New England Revolution) and Jeff Caldwell (New England Revolution).
He has also worked on the sidelines for ESPN and NBC soccer broadcasts involving U.S. national teams, Major League Soccer, NCAA College Cups and international friendlies in the summer.
A native of Morganton, North Carolina, Gillon resides in High Point with his wife, Lauren, and their dog, Molly.
