New head coach looks to reinvigorate storied program

When the Saint Louis University men’s soccer team squares off against Drake this Saturday, Sept. 25 at 7:30 p.m. in Robert R. Hermann Stadium, homecoming will have a different feel for the first time in a decade. The halftime fireworks will still be there—but the head coach will be different.

This time last year, Dan Donigan was still the head coach of the SLU men’s soccer team. His team would eventually advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament before losing in overtime against Tulsa.

Meanwhile, Mike McGinty was an associate head coach at the University of Virginia, who finished their season with a victory over Tulsa for the national championship.

Now, as the Billikens (1-2-1) prepare for the homecoming game against Drake (3-4), Donigan is coaching at Rutgers University (3-1-1) and McGinty has taken over the reigns of the program that Donigan led to 118 victories.

“When I did my homework, SLU was I place I felt I could come and build on the work [Donigan] had done, build on the work other coaches before him had done, and I felt that I could win a national championship here. I just came off a national championship and I want to win another one,” McGinty said.

But why did McGinty decide to leave the program that had just been crowned national champions and come to SLU?

“I was the associate head coach at Virginia—and here, obviously, I’m the head coach,” McGinty said.

“So that was the difference for me—to go out and have complete reins of the program.

“I had been at Virginia for 11 years. I learned a lot with the coaches that were there. I was fortunate with a lot of great players there, but there was nothing left for me to do there.

“We won a national championship and an ACC championship, and if I was going leave, that’s the way I wanted to be remembered—and it was perfect timing for me and my family to come out here,” McGinty said.

For McGinty, coming from the University of Virginia to SLU has not changed the expectations regarding the success of the men’s soccer team. At each university, the fans and alumni expect to see their team compete for a national championship. But McGinty does not consider those expectations problematic.

“I have pretty high expectations for myself, I have high expectations for my players,” McGinty said.

“I like the fact that the people that support the program and are interested in the program want us to be national champions. Those are the kind of people I like having around me—alumni that want us to be national champions, an athletic director in Chris May that wants us to be national champions.

“If I felt that this was a rebuilding 20-year, 10-year project, we’re happy with where we are in life type of job, I wouldn’t have taken it.”

These lofty goals motivate McGinty as well as his players. Freshman Christian Briggs says McGinty emphasizes the goal of the national championship to motivate the team.

“I think every time we go to practice it’s always on our mind—we are definitely a very goal-oriented team,” Briggs said.

“We think about a lot of things when we train, but it’s [the national championship] that everyone wants.”

Briggs admits that one win out of four games to start the season was not what the team had in mind, but is confident that the team can improve.

“It’s not going to be easy—but once we buy into his philosophy what he’s coaching we believe that the goals that we have set will be attained. Coming from a place like Virginia, he has a lot of experience—we need to buy into his philosophy and continue to work hard every day,” Briggs said.

McGinty also is blunt in acknowledging that he is not satisfied with the performances of his team so far.

“If I was 4-0 I wouldn’t be satisfied, either,” McGinty said.

“One thing as a coach, I don’t think you’re ever satisfied—you can always do something better. We talk about it every day, what could we have done better? If I was 4-0 or 0-4, it doesn’t matter—I still wouldn’t be satisfied.”

As a head coach, McGinty will always find something for his young team to work on.

When SLU takes the field against Drake this Saturday, the team may not entirely satisfy McGinty.  But after an overtime loss last year, a homecoming victory would be more than satisfactory for Billiken fans.