Gardner-Webb University Men's Soccer

Vice President for Athletics/Athletics Director Brendan Fahey announced the hiring of Jonathan Lagos as the new Head Men's Soccer Coach in December 2025. The Simpsonville, S.C. native becomes the fourth coach in the program's history. Lagos arrives at Gardner-Webb with nine years of Division I coaching experience, helping to build UNC Greensboro into a nationally competitive Division I program as Associate Head Coach and recruiter. Lagos helped guide UNCG to the Southern Conference Tournament Championship in 2022 before watching his team advance to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. The Spartans also made an appearance in the Sweet Sixteen during the 2025 season. Under his leadership, UNCG captured a pair of SoCon Regular Season Titles. Lagos helped lead J.C. Ngando to a United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division I Men's Soccer All-America First Team honor while Ngando and teammate Ethan Conley were selected in the 2023 Major League Soccer SuperDraft. Success has followed Lagos at each of his career stops in the sport. He arrived at UNCG after a successful three-year stint as an assistant coach for Wake Forest of the Atlantic Coast Conference. While in Winston Salem, Lagos helped guide the Demon Deacons to a College Cup semifinal appearance in 2019 as well as a Sweet 16 showings in 2020-21 and fall of 2021. The 2019 rendition of the Deacs concluded the season with a No. 3 national ranking. Lagos was instrumental in helping six players from the Wake Forest team be selected in the MLS Draft while six others signed professional contracts. He was also a part of the coaching staff that secured a No. 1 nationally ranked recruiting class in 2021 and No. 4 class in 2020. Lagos also had beneficial stops at Wofford College in 2018-19, North Greenville University from 2017-18, and Big South foe Presbyterian College in 2016-17. While with PC, Lagos brought in the first recruiting class to win the Big South Title and qualify for the NCAA Tournament in 2016. Lagos played collegiately at North Greenville University in Tigerville, S.C. while earning his Bachelor of Science in Sport Management from NGU in December 2015.

The Coventry, England, native is the third head coach in the program's history. He comes to Gardner-Webb after building UNC Greensboro into a top-5 national program as Associate Head Coach and lead recruiter.   "First, I would like to thank President Dr. Downs for the ultimate decision on allowing me to be part of Gardner Webb University," said Wells. "I want to say a very special thank you to Dr. Goodrich, who has been a major factor in my decision. He is a winner, and it was evident early in the process that he is willing to be in the trenches with me as we start the new era of Bulldog Soccer. I want to thank UNC Greensboro and the entire athletics department, specifically Head Coach Chris Rich for giving me the opportunity to help elevate the team in to a top-5 program. Lastly, but most importantly, I want to thank my Wife Carissa Wells. There is a huge difference between a wife and a coach's wife. Thank you for all the sacrifice you have given our family and the support to ultimately be in this position today."   Wells helped engineer a sensational 2022 season for the Spartans, which started with a 10-match unbeaten streak in August and September. UNCG finished the campaign with a 13-2-6 mark, won the Southern Conference regular season and conference titles and advanced all the way to the NCAA Elite Eight with tournament wins over Ohio State and Stanford. The Spartans finished the 2022 season ranked in the top-25 nationally in 12 different statistical categories. UNCG ranked ninth in total goals, 10th in shot accuracy, 12th in goal differential, 13th in total points and winning percentage, 16th in scoring offense, 18th in total assists, 19th in points per game, 20th in shots on goal, 22nd in goals against average and corner kicks per game and 25th in assists per game.   UNCG earned its highest ever ranking in the final national polls, coming in at No. 5 when the United Soccer Coaches poll was released in mid-December. The Spartans cracked the top-25 in early September and moved back into the polls for good on October 11.   Sophomore midfielder J.C. Ngando earned first-team United Soccer Coaches All-America honors after scoring 22 points and posting 14 assists which ranked second nationally by season's end. A dozen Spartans earned postseason accolades from the Southern Conference in November.   Wells was also part of UNCG's 2021 SoCon championship during the spring, which saw Theo Collomb earn SoCon Freshman of the Year honors. Collomb went on to earn second-team All-America honors the following fall and was selected by Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft following his sophomore season.   Wells' first stint with the Spartans began in 2019 and success followed soon after. UNCG won six of its final seven regular season matches that season, won a conference regular season title and advanced all the way to the SoCon Tournament finals.  Wells also spearheaded the recruitment of four top-25 recruiting classes for UNCG, providing the foundation for the program's recent success. The Spartans saw 23 student-athletes earn SoCon postseason honors during Wells' tenure. Two of his recruits, Ngando and Joey Skinner, were selected in the first round of the 2023 MLS SuperDraft on December 21. Ngando was chosen No. 5 overall by Vancouver Whitecaps FC and Skinner was taken with the No. 11 overall pick by Nashville SC. Another, defender Ethan Conley, was drafted in the second round by New York Red Bulls.   "Our goal is to build a consistent soccer powerhouse at Gardner-Webb," underscored GWU President Dr. William Downs. "That means winning conference championships and making deep runs in the NCAA tournament...nothing less.  It takes energy, expertise, and a good measure of audacity to realize such a goal, and in Coach Scott Wells I believe we have found the right potent combination.  Scott knows he's got a turnaround project on his hands, and I'm confident he's up to the challenge."   Success has followed Wells at each of his career stops in the sport. He came to UNCG after a terrific two-year stint as the top assistant at the University of Charleston (WV). While there, he helped guide the team to a pair of NCAA Sweet Sixteen appearances and the 2017 NCAA Division II National Championship. The Golden Eagles went 21-2-1 in 2017 and followed with an 18-1-2 mark and unbeaten regular season in 2018. Charleston outscored its opponents 54-3 during the 2018 campaign.   Wells' entrance into the college coaching ranks was sensational as well. He began as a graduate assistant coach at the University of Rio Grande (OH), helping the Red Storm to a 19-2-2 mark and a No. 1 national ranking during the 2014 regular season. The following season, as the program's top assistant, Wells saw Rio Grande win the 2015 NAIA National Championship and post a 25-2 record. The Red Storm finished the season riding a 13-match win streak.

Josh Nakayama was named the Associate Head Coach of Men's Soccer in March 2026. Nakayama brings a proven track record of program development, player growth, and competitive success to the collegiate men’s soccer landscape. A results-driven coach, Nakayama has built his reputation on cultivating high-performance student-athletes while establishing winning cultures rooted in accountability, integrity, and academic excellence. Nakayama most recently served as the Head Men’s Soccer Coach at Midland University, where he led the program from 2021 to the present. During his tenure, he compiled a 43-35-16 overall record while guiding the program through a steady upward trajectory. His leadership produced multiple winning seasons, highlighted by a 13-4-2 campaign in 2025-26. Under his direction, Midland student-athletes earned significant conference recognition, including the GPAC Offensive Player of the Year in 2024 and 2025 and the GPAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2025. In addition to his head coaching duties, Nakayama has served as an NAIA National Coaches Rater since 2022 and contributed to the Midwest ARC Committee, helping evaluate and shape the national landscape of collegiate soccer. Before taking over the Midland program, Nakayama spent three seasons as an assistant coach and goalkeeper coach at Bethel University from 2018-21. During that time, he helped lead the Pilots to a 13-5-1 season and an appearance in the NAIA National Tournament in 2020-21. Bethel also captured the Crossroads League regular season championship and reached the NCCAA National Final in both 2019 and 2020. Nakayama has also gained experience in the USL League Two developmental environment, serving as an assistant and goalkeeper coach with South Bend Lions FC while working with the club’s U18 academy to implement technical and tactical development plans for players pursuing professional opportunities. Prior to entering the collegiate ranks, Nakayama enjoyed a successful run as the head boys’ soccer coach at Penn High School from 2014-18. He compiled a 58-17-4 record, led the program to its first undefeated regular season (14-0-2), and guided the team to a Northern Indiana Conference championship and a state semifinal appearance. His success earned him Northern Indiana Conference Coach of the Year honors. Alongside his coaching career, Nakayama has been active in the classroom, serving as an adjunct professor in the College of Health Professions at Midland University and previously teaching in Bethel University’s kinesiology department. Earlier in his career, he worked as a physical education teacher in the Penn School Corporation. Nakayama played collegiately at Bethel College from 2007-11 before transitioning into coaching. He holds a USSF “D” Coaching License and earned his MBA with a focus in Leadership from Bethel University in 2020 after completing his bachelor’s degree in Physical Education and Health.

Daniel Babbert enters his first year as the Assistant Coach for Gardner-Webb men's soccer after being promoted in the spring of 2025. Babbert spent the past season as a graduate assistant for the GWU men's soccer program as well the head coach of the Runnin' Bulldogs developmental team. During his first year on campus, Babbert helped guide Gardner-Webb to its best season in program history after compiling a 13-4-3 overall record and the first unbeaten conference record at 5-0-2, winning its first-ever Big South Tournament Championship. During that season, the Runnin' Bulldogs advanced to the NCAA Tournament, taking down Oregon State 1-0 in the first round while advancing to the next round for just the second time in program history. Prior to his arrival in Boiling Springs, Babbert was a 4-year member of the Moravian University men's soccer team where he was named to the Landmark Conference Fall Academic Honor Roll on three occasions. Babbert, while primarily being a student-athlete, started to pick up a desire for coaching while at Moravian. He spent time helping the Greyhounds coaching staff by leading and assisting in training sessions while also creating practice plans. Babbert was also a key piece in the scheduling of events for the team, alumni, and recruits. Babbert continued his coaching endeavors with the Philadelphia Union Youth in Philadelphia, Pa., acting as the SJSL Coach since 2022. During his time, he created scouting reports for academy teams in preparation of GA Cup based on data and video analysis. Babbert obtained his Bachelors of English and Education with a Concentration in Writing Arts from Moravian University, where he was named to the University Honor Roll in 7 of his 8 semesters. He was also a member of Chi Alpha Sigma National College Honor Athlete Honor Society before being selected to present a coaching research project at the EPA Convention in Philadelphia in 2024.