Former Western Guilford Hornet EJ O’Keeffe named new head coach of High Point University men’s soccer program

EJ O’Keeffe, Western Guilford High School/UNCG and son of Ed O’Keeffe, has been named as the new men’s soccer coach at High Point University…I can remember EJ reffing adult men’s soccer games back when he was 10 years old…Has has had his soccer license for about that long and Congrats to EJ O’Keeffe on his new job, running the men’s soccer program at High Point University….

HIGH POINT, N.C. – High Point University athletic director Dan Hauser has named EJ O’Keeffe as the next head coach of the HPU men’s soccer team.

O’Keeffe – a Piedmont Triad native who has worked with the program as an assistant coach and associate head coach since 2010 – becomes the third head coach in the program’s Div. I history.

“EJ has the passion and vision to lead High Point University to achieve national success and become an elite soccer program,” Hauser said. “I’m thrilled to welcome him as the next head coach of the program. He has been a part of championship teams at every level of his soccer career and that expertise will be critical as our men’s soccer program strives to win Big South Conference titles and advance in the NCAA Tournament.”

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HIGH POINT, N.C. – High Point University athletic director Dan Hauser has named EJ O’Keeffe as the next head coach of the HPU men’s soccer team.

O’Keeffe – a Piedmont Triad native who has worked with the program as an assistant coach and associate head coach since 2010 – becomes the third head coach in the program’s Div. I history.

“EJ has the passion and vision to lead High Point University to achieve national success and become an elite soccer program,” Hauser said. “I’m thrilled to welcome him as the next head coach of the program. He has been a part of championship teams at every level of his soccer career and that expertise will be critical as our men’s soccer program strives to win Big South Conference titles and advance in the NCAA Tournament.”

During O’Keeffe’s tenure, the High Point University men’s soccer program has achieved unprecedented success. The team has posted a combined 55-34-12 record (.604), including an impressive 29-11-6 (.696) mark in Big South play. The Purple & White have set the top-4 single-season program win marks during that time, including a 2010 season in which the team became the first in Big South history to post a perfect 8-0-0 mark in league play. The Panthers also have recorded the top-5 single-season point totals in program history while registering school records for shutouts in 2010 and 2012.

“I’m excited, flattered and humbled to serve as the next head coach of this program,” O’Keeffe said. “I’d like to thank Dr. Nido Qubein and Dan Hauser for their support. I look to move forward immediately and use the strong foundation we’ve built to take this program to even greater heights. I want to make a difference in the lives of our student-athletes and help them achieve success on the soccer field, in the classroom and as members of the community.”

Over the course of O’Keeffe’s five seasons, the program has churned out 25 all-Big South selections while 12 student-athletes have earned NSCAA all-region accolades. Karo Okiomah earned NSCAA All-America honors for the Panthers in 2010 and is one of four players to be drafted into Major League Soccer during the five-year span.

In the classroom, two Panthers have garnered Academic All-America accolades while the team has been selected for an NSCAA Team Academic Award in each of the five seasons.

O’Keeffe has been a stalwart on the recruiting circuit for the Panthers and was instrumental in inking HPU’s top-25 recruiting class in 2013. The Panthers are the only Big South team to accomplish the feat since 2010. In addition, O’Keeffe has recruited three HPU Freshman All-Americans and was responsible for signing High Point’s all-time leading scorer, Mamadee Nyepon, in 2011.

O’Keeffe played for three seasons as a defender for UNCG. He appeared in 61 games in his three seasons, compiling nine points on three goals and three assists. He was named to the All-Southern Conference team in 2008 and was a team captain in 2009. During his time at UNCG, the Spartans appeared in two Southern Conference championship games, winning in 2008 and advancing to the NCAA “Sweet 16.”

O’Keeffe graduated with a B.S. in Business Administration from UNCG in 2010. He played for the Carolina Dynamo PDL team from 2007-10.

O’Keeffe holds a USSF National “A” Coaching License and a National “Youth” Coaching License. He graduated from UNC Greensboro in 2010 with a B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Entrepreneurship. O’Keeffe is both a native and current resident of Greensboro, N.C.