Dan Donigan (born August 3, 1966) is a retired United States soccer
forward
Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward.
Forward may also refer to:
People
* Forward (surname)
Sports
* Forward (association football)
* Forward (basketball), including:
** Point forward
** Power forward (basketball)
** Sm ...
American Professional Soccer League
The American Professional Soccer League (APSL) was a professional men's soccer league with teams from the United States and later Canada. It was formed in 1990 by the merger of the third American Soccer League with the Western Soccer League. It ...
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
and Saint Louis, and subsequently as a head coach for Saint Louis and
Rutgers
Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was a ...
.
Player
High school
Donigan was born in
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. It was the capital of the United States from November 1 to December 24, 1784.Hamilton Township, New Jersey where he attended
Steinert High School
Steinert High School (also formally known as Hamilton High School East) is a four-year comprehensive public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades as one of three secondary high schools that are part of the Hamilton Towns ...
. Donigan scored 34 goals in his senior year, leading Steinert to the Group 3 state championship. In 1999, he was named by ''
The Star-Ledger
''The Star-Ledger'' is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to ''The Jersey Journal'' of Jersey City, ''The Times'' of Trenton and the '' Staten Island Advance'', all of wh ...
'' as one of the top ten New Jersey high school soccer players of the 1980s.
College
After graduating from high school in 1985, Donigan attended the
University of Connecticut
The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from Hart ...
(UConn) where he played as a forward on the men's soccer team from 1985 to 1988. During his four season with the Huskies, he was three-time second and third team All-American. In 1988, he received the adidas Adi Dasslar Award as the nation's "Most Outstanding Senior Soccer Player" in 1988. Donigan finished his collegiate career with 35 goals and 40 assists for 110 points. While he left college without completing his degree, he later returned and earned a BS in
Business Administration
Business administration, also known as business management, is the administration of a commercial enterprise. It includes all aspects of overseeing and supervising the business operations of an organization. From the point of view of management ...
in 1998.
Professional
After finishing his collegiate career, Donigan embarked on a life as a soccer
journeyman
A journeyman, journeywoman, or journeyperson is a worker, skilled in a given building trade or craft, who has successfully completed an official apprenticeship qualification. Journeymen are considered competent and authorized to work in that fie ...
. Like many U.S. soccer players in the 1980s and early 1990s, his was an itinerant life, moving from one failing indoor and outdoor club to another. In April 1989, he signed with the Boston Bolts of the American Soccer League. He scored four goals, adding seven assists, as the Bolts went to the ASL championship game only to fall to the
Fort Lauderdale Strikers Fort Lauderdale Strikers may refer to:
*Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1977–1983), member of North American Soccer League from 1977 to 1983
*Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1988–1994), member of American Soccer League from 1988 to 1989 and American Profes ...
. On July 8, 1989, the St. Louis Storm selected Donigan in the first round (second overall) of the Major Indoor Soccer League draft. He signed with the Storm in September 1989. In 1990 and 1991, Donigan played for the
Penn-Jersey Spirit
Penn-Jersey Spirit played in the American Professional Soccer League in 1990 and 1991. The team's home stadium was Lions Stadium in Ewing, New Jersey, on the campus of Trenton State College (today known as the College of New Jersey). The team al ...
of the
American Professional Soccer League
The American Professional Soccer League (APSL) was a professional men's soccer league with teams from the United States and later Canada. It was formed in 1990 by the merger of the third American Soccer League with the Western Soccer League. It ...
, successor league to the ASL. He was a 1990 APSL First Team All Star. In 1991, he played in 11 games, but scored no goals. In July 1991, the St. Louis Storm traded Donigan to the
Wichita Wings
The Wichita Wings were a professional indoor soccer franchise based in Wichita, Kansas. The Wings were admitted to the Major Indoor Soccer League as an expansion team on August 21, 1979.
in exchange for Mark Santel. He played one season in Wichita. On October 17, 1992, he signed with the
Milwaukee Wave
The Milwaukee Wave is an American professional indoor soccer team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded in 1984, they have been the oldest continuously operating professional soccer team in the United States and are seven-time league champions, m ...
Tampa Bay Rowdies
The Tampa Bay Rowdies are an American professional Association football, soccer team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The club was founded in 2008 and first took the pitch in 2010. Since 2017, the Rowdies have been members of the USL Champions ...
(APSL). In May 1994, the
Washington Warthogs
The Washington Warthogs were a professional indoor soccer team in the Continental Indoor Soccer League (CISL) from 1994 to 1997. They played their home games in the USAir Arena in Landover, Maryland, an arena they shared with the Washington Bulle ...
selected Donigan in the
Continental Indoor Soccer League
The Continental Indoor Soccer League (CISL) was a professional indoor soccer league that played from 1993 to 1997.
History
In the summer of 1989 Dr Jerry Buss, the owner of the Los Angeles Lakers and California Sports, told his executive Vice Pre ...
draft. The CISL played indoor soccer during the summer and Donigan chose to play for the
Rockford Raptors
The Rockford Raptors were an American soccer team based in Rockford, Illinois. The team began in the USISL and moved to the USISL Pro League in 1995. In 1999, the team was relegated to the Premier Development League.
The Raptors are now a so ...
of the
USISL
United Soccer League (USL), formerly known as United Soccer Leagues, is a soccer league in the United States and Canada. It organizes several men's and women's leagues, both professional and amateur. Men's leagues currently organized are the ...
instead. That summer, he also signed a three-year contract with the Milwaukee Wave, then backed out of the contract to become an assistant coach at
UConn
The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from Ha ...
. At the end of the 1996 collegiate season, UConn changed its head coaches and the new coach brought in an entirely new cadre of assistants. Therefore, Donigan decided to resume his playing career. On January 4, 1997, Donigan signed with the
Milwaukee Wave
The Milwaukee Wave is an American professional indoor soccer team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded in 1984, they have been the oldest continuously operating professional soccer team in the United States and are seven-time league champions, m ...
for the remainder of the 1996–1997 NPSL season. At the time, he had just moved to St. Louis to become an assistant coach with the
St. Louis University
Saint Louis University (SLU) is a private Jesuit research university with campuses in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, and Madrid, Spain. Founded in 1818 by Louis William Valentine DuBourg, it is the oldest university west of the Mississip ...
men's soccer team. He played XXX seasons with the Wave. Donigan was then hired as an assistant coach with the
St. Louis University
Saint Louis University (SLU) is a private Jesuit research university with campuses in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, and Madrid, Spain. Founded in 1818 by Louis William Valentine DuBourg, it is the oldest university west of the Mississip ...
men's soccer team. As a result, he did not play the beginning of the 1997–1998 season. On January 28, 1998, the Wave traded Donigan to the St. Louis Ambush in exchange for cash, a second-round pick in the 1998 college draft and future considerations. Donigan played parts of two seasons for the Ambush. In May 2000, he signed with the St. Louis Steamers of the
World Indoor Soccer League
The World Indoor Soccer League (WISL) was a United States-based indoor soccer league that existed from 1998 to 2001 and consisted of nine teams.
History
After the demise of the Continental Indoor Soccer League, four of its teams decided to create ...
.
National team
On September 15, 1990, he earned his only
cap
A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. Caps typically have a visor, or no brim at all. They are popular in casual and informal se ...
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...
. In 1988, Donigan earned four caps for the
United States national futsal team
The United States national futsal team represents the United States at international competitions. It is governed by the United States Soccer Federation and affiliated with CONCACAF. The U.S. Futsal Federation was founded in 1981 and the first ...
.
Coach
In 1994 July, Donigan began his coaching career as assistant men's soccer coach at
UConn
The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from Ha ...
. He would go on to serve as an assistant for three seasons. The college released Donigan in December 1996 after bringing in a new head coach. On February 27, 1997,
St Louis University
Saint Louis University (SLU) is a private Jesuit research university with campuses in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, and Madrid, Spain. Founded in 1818 by Louis William Valentine DuBourg, it is the oldest university west of the Mississ ...
hired Donigan as their assistant coach."UCONN SOCCER ASSISTANT TO JOIN ST. LOUIS U. STAFF" ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch'' Friday, February 28, 1997 On February 5, 2001, the University hired him as its fifth head soccer coach. Donigan won the title of Atlantic 10 Conference Coach of the Year in 2006 and 2007. Dan Donigan was named head coach for the Rutgers men's soccer program on January 22, 2010.
Donigan was fired by Rutgers following the
2018 NCAA Division I men's soccer season
The 2018 NCAA Division I men's soccer season was the 60th season of NCAA championship men's college soccer. The regular season began on August 24, 2018 and continued into the first weekend of November 2018. The season culminated with the four-tea ...