HICKORY, NC - A staple in the North Carolina Soccer community, Justin Maullin has been named the head coach of Lenoir-Rhyne Women's Soccer, as announced by Vice President for Athletics Daron Montgomery on Tuesday. The Lenoir-Rhyne women's soccer team is tops when it comes to DII, qualifying for 11 NCAA Tournaments since 2010, winning nine SAC regular season championships, five tournament championships, and producing 11 All-Americans.

"Coach Maullin's passion for the sport, knowledge of the game, and breadth of soccer connections stood out to us during the search process," stated Montgomery. "Justin recognizes LR's past success and understands the program is firmly positioned for continued success. We look forward to the leadership and stability he will provide in the years ahead."

Maullin comes to Lenoir-Rhyne after a successful four-year stint as the head Women's Soccer coach at Guilford College. Having not had a winning season since 2011 and just one win in 2020, Maullin joined the Quakers in 2021 and led them to four-consecutive winning seasons, notching a record of 48-18-8 during his time there. Guilford had double-digit wins in all four of his seasons there, including a 13-2-5 mark in 2023.

"I am very excited to be the next leader of the Lenoir-Rhyne Women's Soccer program," said Maullin. "I want to first start by thanking athletic director Daron Montgomery, senior woman administrator Katrina DeVore and president Fred Whitt for this wonderful opportunity. They were very professional during the process and along with the rest of the department, made me feel very welcome. I want to thank all those student-athletes and coaches that came before me to make Lenoir-Rhyne women's soccer into a nationally recognized program. I will work hard each day to continue this legacy and continue to move the program forward. I am looking forward to working with our current student-athletes and continuing to make them champions in life, in the classroom and on the field. "

The Johannesburg, South Africa, native got his start in women's soccer during the 2020 season, where he was the head women's soccer coach at NAIA LSU Shreveport. During his one season with the Pilots he led them to a 14-6-1 record, winning the conference tournament championship, qualified for the NAIA national tournament, and was named the Red River Athletic Conference Coach of the Year.

Maullin has extensive NCAA DI experience, with stops at Louisiana State, Arkansas, and UNC Greensboro. His most notable coaching experience came with the UNC Greensboro men's soccer program, where he spent 14 seasons, nine of which were as the head coach. During his nine years at the helm of the Spartans, Maullin won 81 games on the field and was the 2010 SoCon Coach of the Year. UNC Greensboro won the SoCon Tournament Championship in 2010, and the SoCon regular season championship in 2010, 2011, 2015. His time there was highlighted with successful student-athletes, as Maullin coached three SoCon Freshman of the Year honorees, one SoCon Player of the Year, and one Freshman All-American. 

Prior to his work in North Carolina, Maullin spent six seasons at the University of Central Florida where he helped coach the Golden Knights to three NCAA Tournament appearances.

Maullin, a 1997 graduate of William Carey College, holds a bachelor's degree in management and marketing. As a student-athlete, he was named team captain and earned NAIA Academic All-America honors while helping the squad to a No. 1 ranking in his final year. The team again achieved this ranking in 1997 and 1998 when he served as an assistant coach.

What people are saying:

• Colby Hale (Arkansas Head Coach) -
  • "Justin is a terrific hire for Lenoir-Rhyne. He has had experience and success at every level. He is a tireless recruiter and a coach the players will both enjoy and grow from."
• Eddie Radwanski (Clemson Head Coach)
  • "Justin is a great choice to be the head coach at LR! He soccer/coaching background speaks for itself. He has led his teams to Conference championships, NCAA Tournaments, and had plenty of success in the classroom. Lenoir-Rhyne players will thrive under Justin's leadership, and they will graduate and have experiences that will last a lifetime. This is a fantastic hire for LR!"
• Anson Dorance (Former UNC Women's Soccer Coach)
  • "Justin will set an aggressive standard in the most positive way. He knows the game; he understands his responsibility to have a culture based on a soccer meritocracy with character development as a goal. I am excited for him and the future of his new program!"