Julio Castillo is entering his seventh season as a coach with the NNU men's soccer program in the fall of 2025.
A 2015 graduate of Northwest Nazarene, he spent the 2017 and 2018 years as an assistant at NNU before two seasons away at nearby College of Idaho. He then rejoined the NNU men's soccer staff in 2021, and was elevated to the title of Associate Head Coach in the summer of 2025.
Castillo starred for NNU as an athlete in 2014 and 2015, winning the GNAC Player of the Year award and being named a Second Team All-American his senior year by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. He was also the GNAC Newcomer of the Year as a junior and made the NSCAA All-America first team.
Before NNU he played two years at Arizona Western College where he was all-conference twice, all-region twice, and was named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-America first team.
He started his playing career at the Monterrey Academy in Mexico, playing for the Under-15 and Under-17 Mexican National Team. He later played for the Under-20 US National Team. He also played professionally with Savsjo in Sweden.
Castillo played club ball for the PDL Burlingame Dragons in 2015, as well as various appearances for the Under-20 "Rayados de Monterrey" Reserve team, the third-division "Halcones de Tijuana," the first, second and third divisions in "Rayados de Monterrey" Reserve team and the Under-17 in "Rayados de Monterrey" Reserve team.
Castillo scored five goals and had 24 assists in 36 matches at NNU and was a team captain and starter both years.
