AMERICUS, Ga. — Georgia Southwestern State University Director of Athletics Mike Leeder has announced the hiring of Bailey Guffin as the next head coach of the Hurricanes men's soccer program. Guffin will officially begin his duties on April 8.

Guffin arrives in Americus after serving as the head coach at Sul Ross State University, where he led a steady rebuild of the Lobos program over the past three seasons.

"We are excited to welcome Bailey and his family to Georgia Southwestern," said Leeder. "He is a rising coach with a strong track record of developing student-athletes and building programs. His vision and energy make him a great fit to lead our men's soccer program forward."

During his tenure at Sul Ross State, Guffin guided the program to significant improvement, highlighted by a dramatic turnaround in 2024 as the Lobos improved from 1-10-5 to 6-9-2. The squad remained competitive throughout the season, with five losses decided by two goals or less, and produced the program's first-ever Lone Star Conference Player of the Week honoree.

In 2025, the Lobos posted a 5-5-7 record while competing in a conference that included the NCAA Division II national champion Midwestern State University. Across his three seasons, Guffin coached one all-region honoree, three all-conference selections, four LSC players of the week and saw 24 student-athletes earn all-conference academic honors, emphasizing both on-field success and classroom achievement.

Prior to his time at Sul Ross State, Guffin spent the 2022 season as head coach at Oklahoma Panhandle State University, where he posted a 4-8-1 record. He also served as an assistant coach with the Aggies for two seasons, helping guide the program to a 10-3-3 record in 2021 and a spot receiving votes in the national poll. During that season, standout forward Liam Pritchard earned All-America honors after leading the team with nine goals.

Guffin began his collegiate coaching career as a graduate assistant at West Virginia University, where he earned both his bachelor's degree in 2019 and his master's degree in 2021.

In addition to his collegiate experience, Guffin has gained exposure to the professional game through internships with D.C. United and West Ham United F.C.

"First, I am forever thankful to Sul Ross and Amanda Workman for the time I spent in Alpine," Guffin said. "We built so much and I'll always remember it.

I want to thank President (Dr. Michelle) Johnston and AD (Mike) Leeder for the opportunity to be a part of Georgia Southwestern. Their visions were clear in the process and it aligned with my feeling for the program perfectly. My wife and I are excited to be coming back home and excited to be a part of the University.

I'm eager to get this new period started for GSW soccer. GSW has all the elements of a top academic and soccer experience, so this is a really exciting time for me and the players. We're hoping to build some big things!"

A new era for Hurricanes men's soccer begins April 8.