Lenoir-Rhyne Names Gary Higgins Head Women’s Soccer Coach
Higgins comes to Lenoir-Rhyne after serving as an Assistant Men’s Soccer Coach at Tusculum for three seasons
Hickory, N.C. – Lenoir-Rhyne University has named Gary Higgins Head Women's Soccer Coach, announced today by Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Neill McGeachy.
Higgins comes to Lenoir-Rhyne after serving three seasons as an Assistant Men's Soccer Coach at Tusculum (2012-14).
"I am extremely excited about the opportunity to coach at my alma mater (Lenoir-Rhyne) and would like to thank Neill McGeachy (Executive Director of Athletics) for his confidence in my abilities to lead this fantastic program," said Higgins. "Lenoir-Rhyne has experienced a great deal of success over the last few years and I plan on continuing that success in the future."
Higgins graduated from Lenoir-Rhyne in 2010 with a bachelor's degree in health and exercise science before earning his master's degree in liberal arts in 2011, where he served as an assistant coach for the Bears' men's team.
A four-year letterwinner on the Lenoir-Rhyne Men's Soccer Team (2006-09), Higgins was a two-time All-South Atlantic Conference and All-Region performer who earned NCAA Division II Daktronics honorable mention All-American honors in 2007.
Higgins was also a three-year captain and led the Bears to a 19-1-1 mark in 2006 and a berth in the NCAA Division II Appalachian Regional Championship.
Higgins also played at the semi-professional level in the United States including the Reading (Pa.) Rage of the USL Premier Development League where he received team MVP honors and helped the squad reach the league semifinals in 2008. Higgins also captained the Knoxville Force of the NPSL in 2012.
Higgins, who holds his NSCAA National Diploma and USSF National D coaching license, has coached at the club level for over five years and coached ODP in the state of North Carolina.
Higgins replaces Madison Gates, who went 14-2-2 as Acting Head Coach last season and led the Bears to a fifth consecutive South Atlantic Conference Regular Season Championship.
Lenoir-Rhyne finished the year with a 16-4-3 record and advanced to the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Finals as well in 2010. The Bears also ended the year ranked No. 11 in the nation.
Higgins is married to the former Klara Ledford.