DANVILLE, Va. – Averett University men's soccer head coach Philip Wilson is renouncing his position as men's soccer head coach to seek an opportunity outside of coaching, the school announced on Thursday. 

Wilson has been on the men's soccer coaching staff since 2011, as he served as an assistant before he became the head coach in March of 2014. 

"We appreciate Philip's time with the men's soccer program," Director of Athletics Danny Miller said. "Averett wishes him nothing but the best success moving forward."

Averett will immediately begin a national search for its next men's soccer head coach.

Wilson guided the Cougars to a 65-107-32 record in his 12 seasons at the helm, with a 39-59-20 record in conference play. His teams made six conference tournament appearances, with a season-high nine wins in the 2021 campaign, where Averett made the USA South tournament semifinals. Wilson has had 21 players make all-conference, both USA South and the ODAC, and culminated in four Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) all-state selections and 10 Academic All-District selections from the College Sports Communicators.

"Throughout my time at Averett, I have been fortunate to work alongside outstanding colleagues, mentor exceptional student-athletes, and experience continued professional development that has shaped my career, and I am truly grateful for the trust, support, and opportunities provided to me over the years," Wilson said. "I want to thank former Director of Athletics Meg Stevens and former President Dr. Tiffany Franks for giving me the opportunity, and trusting me to become a head coach at 25 years old. To current Director of Athletics Danny Miller, I thank him for his guidance and advice over the years, as well as his leadership over the past two years. I am deeply thankful to the former players, staff, and families who have been part of this program over the years. The relationships built and memories shared will always be something I value greatly."

Wilson is the second winningest coach in program history, and his 39 conference wins are second as well.