NC State women’s soccer program welcomes Gary Higgins as head coach

NC State Director of Athletics Boo Corrigan has announced that Gary Higgins has been named the Wolfpack’s head women’s soccer coach.

Higgins, who has enjoyed success at every stop on his coaching journey,  joins the Wolfpack program after three seasons as the head coach at East Carolina, where his squad recently won the program’s first conference title in the 30-year history of the program.

“I am very excited about the future of Wolfpack Women’s Soccer under Gary Higgins’ leadership,” said Corrigan. “He rose to the top of our candidate pool not only because he is an excellent coach and winner, but because of the passion and energy he brings to the role. His positivity makes him a great fit for our culture.”

The Pirates posted a 10-4-7 mark in 2024, earning the American Athletic Conference (AAC)  title and advancing to the NCAA Tournament for another first in program history. Six players were named to the AAC postseason squads.

“It is an honor and a privilege to be named the new head women’s soccer coach at NC State,” said Higgins. “My family and I cannot wait to join the Pack! I would like to thank Boo Corrigan, Katie Graham and the rest of the support staff for giving me this opportunity and I am very excited to begin a new era of NC State women’s soccer.

“I want to also express my heartfelt gratitude to ECU and Lenoir-Rhyne University for all the unwavering support extended throughout my career. I will attack this opportunity with enthusiasm and gratitude and I look forward to helping NC State compete for conference championships and NCAA tournament berths. Thanks and Go Pack!”

In 2023, his second season as ECU head coach, Higgins led the Pirates to their first .500+ record since 2018 with a 9-5-5 finish. The season also saw four players earn all-conference recognition, including the first ECU player to earn player of the year honors since 2008 and the league’s defensive player of the year.

In his first season in Greenville, Higgins guided three players to conference postseason accolades, including the  2022 AAC Rookie of the Year.

Higgins began his stint at ECU in March of 2022 after seven years as head coach at his alma mater: Lenoir-Rhyne.  The all-time winningest coach in LR program history, he posted a career record of 83-31-13, including a 49-16-1 mark in South Atlantic Conference (SAC) play. He guided the Bears to the 2021 NCAA Division II Semifinals before falling to eventual national champion Grand Valley State –  the program’s first trip to the Final Four. The Bears’ final ranking of No. 4 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll that season was the highest in school history.

A two-time SAC Coach-of-the-Year selection, Higgins led Lenoir-Rhyne to a pair of SAC regular season championships and one league tournament title. The Bears advanced to three NCAA Tournaments under Higgins’ watch. He coached four All-America performers and 46 all-conference picks, including the 2019 SAC Player-of-the-Year and 2016 SAC Freshman-of-the-Year.

Higgins’ squads also had success in the classroom with five Academic All-America honorees and the 2018 SAC Scholar-Athlete-of-the-Year.

After starting his collegiate coaching career at Lenoir-Rhyne as an assistant for the men’s program, Higgins served as an assistant coach at Tusculum (Tenn.) from 2012 to 2015. The Pioneers went 24-24-6 with a SAC title in 2014 with Higgins on the staff.

Higgins was a four-year letterman at LR from 2006 to 2009, earning honorable mention All-America accolades in 2007. He was also a two-time All-SAC and all-region selection, leading the Bears to a 19-1-1 record in 2006 and a berth in the regional final of the NCAA Tournament.

A native of Paisley, Scotland, Higgins played for St. Mirren Football Club at the professional youth level and represented his country as a member of the U18 squad. He also played semi-professionally with the Reading (Pa.) Rage of the USL Premier Development League and captained the Knoxville Force of the NPSL. He led the Rage to the league semifinal in 2008 and garnered team MVP laurels.

After earning his bachelor’s degree in health and exercise science from Lenoir-Rhyne in 2009, Higgins completed requirements for a master’s in liberal arts from LR in 2011. Additionally, he holds a United Soccer Coaches Advanced National diploma as well as a USSF National D coaching license.

Higgins is married to the former Klara Ledford and the couple are the parents of two daughters: Mirin and Eilee.