University of North Georgia Athletics

After his first complete season as the full-time head coach and an interim season the year prior, Anel Lilic returns to the pitch for his third season as the head coach of UNG men’s soccer.

After Lilic led the 2023 squad to a season of firsts where the Nighthawks posted a 9-8-2 overall mark and 5-3-2 record in Peach Belt Conference play, resulting in his promotion to full time head coach, he upped the ante in 2024.

With an 8-6-3 record in the regular season and a 6-3-1 mark in conference matches, Lilic and the Nighthawks finished in second place in the PBC for the second time in program history and first time since 2016. UNG went on to advance to the PBC Tournament Semifinals for the second year in a row and the first time in back-to-back seasons since 2008.

After having five PBC All-Conference selections and the Freshman of the Year for the first time in program history in 2023, Lilic mentored another quintet of all-conference selections in 2024 including PBC Freshman of the Year Jorge Sandoval. 

Sandoval and sophomore Aram Lara were also named to the United Soccer Coaches Southeast All-Region Team in 2024, marking the program’s first all-region winners since 2018.

North Georgia's nine wins in 2023 were the most in the previous six seasons for the UNG men's soccer program and marked only the third winning season since 2011. Lilic led the team to a late-season four-match winning streak marking the first time the Nighthawks were victorious in four straight matches since a program-record 10-match winning streak that dates back to the 2004 season. The streak was highlighted by a late 2-1 home win over No. 16 Clayton State.

Under Lilic's direction, the Nighthawks finished unbeaten (7-0-1) in home matches at the UNG Soccer Field at Lynn Cottrell Park in 2023. 

Prior to his time at UNG, Lilic worked with Atlanta United as a goalkeepers coach in the Regional Development School after a stint with Georgia Southern's women's soccer program. Prior to that, Lilic served as head coach at Flowery Branch High School, working with the girls' soccer program.

In his two-year tenure at FBHS, the Lady Falcons were 41-4-2 and reached the state semifinal and state championship.  
 
Lilic also served as a head coach for several age groups on the boys' side at Gwinnett Soccer Academy (GSA) and is a goalkeeper coach with the Olympic Development Program (ODP).

Collegiately, he worked in Dahlonega as a graduate assistant and volunteer assistant with the UNG men's soccer for six years beginning in 2013.

Lilic moved to Georgia from Sarajevo, Bosnia. He played collegiate soccer at Emmanuel College where he earned All-Region honors.

Updated: June 2025