High Point University men’s soccer coach Dustin Fonder returns for his eighth year at the helm in 2014. In seven seasons, Fonder has amassed an overall record of 68-55-16 and a 33-17-9 mark in conference play. He was named Big South Coach of the Year in both 2009 and 2010, making him just the third coach in league history to win the award in back-to-back seasons.
Fonder holds the HPU Div. I records for overall wins, conference wins and wins in a season.
The Panthers have .500 or better in each of Fonder’s last six seasons including a 12-5-3 record in 2012. High Point remained undefeated through the first 11 games of the season, starting 10-0-1, and earned its first-ever NSCAA national ranking.
Five HPU players were named to the Big South All-Conference team in 2012 including Shawn Sloan, Fejiro Okiomah and Mamadee Nyepon who were all named to the first-team.Adam Sewell and Shane Malolm were each named second-team All-Conference. Redshirt-Freshman Kody Palmer was named the Big South Freshman of the Year, making him the the third HPU player to earn the award in the past four seasons along with Sloan (2009) and Sewell (2010).
HPU enjoyed its best season in program history in 2010 with a record of 16-4-1. The Panthers also won their first Big South Regular Season crown, going a perfect 8-0-0 and becoming the first team to go undefeated and untied in the Big South while playing at least an eight-game schedule. HPU ranked among the top scoring teams in the nation, finishing fourth in the country with 49 goals.
Karo Okiomah was named Big South Player of the Year and an NSCAA third-team All-American after scoring 12 goals in just 16 games.
The Panthers placed a program-high eight players on the All-Conference teams in 2010, including five who earned first-team honors. Karo Okiomah, Michael Chesler, Scott Rojo, Sloan and Fejiro Okiomah were all named first-team All-Big South while Will Stewart, Ryan Bennett and Todd Ray were all named second-team All-Big South.
Prior to 2010, Fonder guided the Panthers to back-to-back nine win seasons in 2008 and 2009, twice-tying the teams’ previous Div. I record for wins in a season. HPU lost just three games against Big South opponents in the two seasons, going 9-3-4 in conference play.
After having 15 players named to the Big South All-Conference teams during High Point’s first seven years in the conference, HPU has had 28 players honored in six seasons under Fonder. The Panthers also have had their first Big South Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year and their first All-American under Fonder’s leadership.
Following the 2012 season, Sloan was drafted by the Columbus Crew and became the first-ever High Point men’s soccer player to sign a professional contract with an MLS team. He was the third HPU player to be drafted by an MLS club, joining Rojo who was selected by Toronto FC in 2010 and Karo Okiomah who was selected by the Houston Dynamo in 2011.
Fonder joined the High Point staff in December of 2006 after having served as the assistant coach at Elon for the previous four seasons. While with the Phoenix, Fonder helped with all day-to-day aspects of the team. He helped to build Elon’s men’s soccer program from an RPI of 165 in 2004 to its first ever top-25 national ranking in the 2006 season.
Prior to his time at Elon, Fonder served as the assistant men’s and women’s soccer coach at Roanoke College. He was responsible for recruiting, scheduling, fund raising and academic advising. He coached the 1998, 2001 and 2002 Old Dominion Athletic Conference champions. While with the Maroons, Fonder coached thirty All-ODAC players, three ODAC Rookies of the Year and two ODAC Players of the Year.
A 1994 graduate of Roanoke College, Fonder was a member of the Maroons’ men’s soccer team where he was named the NCAA Division III Player of the Year. Following his collegiate career, Fonder played professionally both in the USISL and the NPSL from 1995-1999.
In addition to playing for the Roanoke College soccer team, Fonder also starred for the men’s basketball team and is still the all-time assists leader. For all of his athletic talents Fonder was inducted in to the Roanoke College Hall of Fame in 2006.
Fonder is also very involved in the development of the game. He serves as the technical director for the Piedmont Triad Football club. He also is a head coach for the North Carolina Olympic Development Program (’94 boys).
Fonder has been married to his wife Kim for six years. The couple resides in High Point with their daughter Dakota and dog, Kobe.
