PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Tim Pernetti announced the hiring of Dan Donigan as the new head coach for the men’s soccer program. Donigan most recently completed his ninth season at Saint Louis University, where he led the Billikens to the second round of the 2009 NCAA Tournament.

"We are thrilled to have Dan and his family joining us at Rutgers," said Pernetti. "This was an important hire for our program, our university, and soccer in the state of New Jersey and we have great confidence in Dan's enthusiasm, vision and plan."
 
“This is one of the most exciting days of my life, next to my wedding day and the birth of my son,” said Donigan. “I have to first thank [Athletic Director] Tim Pernetti and the Rutgers staff for doing such a great job throughout the process in making me feel so comfortable in joining the Rutgers family.”
 
A Hamilton, N.J., native, Donigan posted a 118-42-23 (.708) overall record in nine seasons at Saint Louis. Donigan was a three-time conference and two-time regional Coach of the Year while at Saint Louis, guiding the Billikens to seven appearances in the NCAA Tournament, including a pair of trips to the quarterfinals. Donigan began his coaching career as an assistant coach with the University of Connecticut, his alma mater, in 1994. He spent three seasons with the Huskies before joining the Saint Louis staff as an assistant from 1997-2000.
 
“Rutgers and New Jersey have always been a soccer power and I’m just excited to come back home and be the head coach at a program that is so nationally prominent and in a state that has been so well known for soccer throughout the years,” said Donigan. “My first goal is to make sure that we keep the local kids in-state and then build the program off of that. Certainly the foundation of this program will be New Jersey kids. I plan to hit the ground running, making contacts and continuing my relationships with the guys I’ve known since I was a young kid growing up in New Jersey.”
 
While at Saint Louis, Donigan coached seven NSCAA All-Americans, 36 NSCAA All-Region selections and 65 student-athletes who received all-conference (C-USA, A-10) honors. In addition, Donigan has mentored 11 players that garnered conference Player of the Year accolades. Always placing an emphasis on academic excellence, Donigan had a total of four NSCAA Scholar All-Americans, four CoSIDA Academic All-Americans and 14 named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District team.
 
Donigan also enjoyed great success in helping his former players advance their careers to the professional ranks. During his time, 12 student-athletes have been drafted by Major League Soccer (MSL), five total by the USL and MISL, as well as a number who have played overseas.
 
Donigan carved out quite an illustrious playing career as one of the most heralded collegiate soccer players at the University of Connecticut from 1985-88. He was a three-time All-American and first-team All-New England forward. He also was selected as the BIG EAST Conference Northern Division Player of the Year in his final two seasons. As part of the BIG EAST's 10-year anniversary in 1991, Donigan was further honored by his selection as the BIG EAST Player of the Decade.
 
Donigan received the adidas Adi Dassler Award as the nation's "Most Outstanding Senior Soccer Player" in 1988. He also was one of 11 players selected as a 1988 Soccer America MVP, registering team highs of 11 goals and 11 assists while leading UConn to its third NCAA Tournament berth in four seasons. An All-America pick his final three seasons, Donigan was a finalist for Missouri Athletic Club Player of the Year honors as a junior and senior.
 
Donigan finished his Huskie career with 35 goals and 40 assists for 110 points. In the Connecticut record book, he ranks sixth in all-time scoring, third in career assists and tied for ninth in career goals.
 
Scholastically, Donigan attended Steinert High School in Hamilton Township. He scored 34 goals in his senior year, leading Steinert to the Group III State Championship. In 1999, he was named by the Newark Star-Ledger as one of the top 10 New Jersey high school soccer players of the 1980s.
 
“This is going to be a very exciting time for Rutgers soccer,” said Donigan. “Some of the most prominent figures in soccer played at Rutgers. I am looking to continue and build those relationships with all of the former players. Those are some tremendous reputations and professionals that have come out of the Rutgers program and we have to use the connections with those guys to help the program take off and get it back to where it was in the early 1990s.”
 
Donigan earned a degree in business administration from the University of Connecticut and later completed his master’s degree in higher education at Saint Louis University. Donigan married the former Corey Stephens in 2008 and the couple has a son named Kaden.
 
DONIGAN BY THE NUMBERS
Overall Record: 118-42-23 (.708) in nine seasons at Saint Louis
Conference Record: 62-15-6 (.783)
(C-USA 2001-04, A-10 2005-09)
 
Coach of the Year:
Conference-USA – 2001
NSCAA Midwest Region - 2003
Atlantic-10 – 2006
Atlantic-10 – 2007
NSCAA Mid-Atlantic Region – 2007
 
NCAA Appearances:
2001 – Quarterfinals
2002 – Third Round
2003 – Quarterfinals
2006 – Second Round
2007 – First Round
2008 – Second Round
2009 – Second Round
 
Conference Tournament Championships:
Conference-USA – 2001, 02, 03
Atlantic-10 – 2009
 
NSCAA All-Americans (7)
NSCAA All-Region Selections (36)
All-Conference Selections (65)
Conference Player of the Year Honorees (11)
NSCAA Scholar All-Americans (4)
CoSIDA Academic All-District Team members (14)
CoSIDA Academic All-Americans (4)
 
MLS Draft Picks (12)
MLS Combine Invitees (14)

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