University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville Hires Nick Castro as Inaugural Head Coach for Women’s Flag Football
05.29.2026 | Women's Flag Football
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – UNC Asheville has hired Nick Castro to be the head coach of the Women's Flag Football team in its first year as a club sport. The university made the announcement on Friday (May 29).
Castro brings an extensive background in athletics, education, coaching, and sport performance to Asheville. He currently serves as the athletic director, health and physical education teacher, and football and basketball coach at Brevard Academy. Prior to that role, Castro spent four years as an assistant professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and two years as an assistant professor at the University of Southern Mississippi.
Castro earned his Doctor of Philosophy in Education with a concentration in Sport, Exercise, and Nutrition from Massey University in Wellington, New Zealand, in 2018. During his doctoral studies, he received multiple research and academic honors, including the New Zealand International Doctoral Research Scholarship and Massey University Doctoral Research Scholarship.
In addition to his collegiate teaching and research background, Castro has years of coaching and athletic administration experience at both the collegiate and high school levels. He previously served as a graduate assistant with the football program at Western Carolina University and has coached football and basketball throughout his career.
Castro has also built an impressive academic and research résumé, publishing multiple peer-reviewed journal articles focused on physical activity, nutrition, childhood obesity, and cardiometabolic health. He has presented his work nationally and internationally through organizations such as the American College of Sports Medicine and the National Association for Kinesiology in Higher Education.
"I am honored and excited to be the first women's flag football head coach at the University of North Carolina Asheville," said Castro. "I am especially energized by the rapid growth and national momentum surrounding women's flag football. With the sport set to make its Olympic debut in 2028 and expanding quickly at the youth, high school, and collegiate levels, this is a transformative moment for female athletes around the world. Women's flag football is one of the fastest-growing sports in the country, and I am committed to being part of this movement by creating sustainable opportunities for female athletes and fostering inclusive environments where women can thrive through sport. I am proud to contribute to UNC Asheville's leadership in advancing women's flag football during this exciting era of growth."
UNC Asheville announced the addition of women's flag football as a club sport with the intention of it being moved to a varsity-level sport, earlier this year as part of the department's continued commitment to expanding opportunities for female student-athletes.
"Nick is an outstanding fit to lead our women's flag football program as we navigate this first year of it being a club sport," said Director of Athletics Janet R. Cone. "His experience, leadership, and passion for developing student-athletes will help set this program up to compete at the varsity level, and I am excited for the future of women's sports here at UNC Asheville."
