After Cincinnati’s program disbanded, Gavin Wigg still thrived in D-I soccer

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In January 2020, Gavin Wigg committed to Cincinnati. He thought his recruitment was over. But on April 14, the Bearcats disbanded their soccer program.

Scrambling to find a new collegiate team last-minute, Wigg couldn’t travel anywhere for visits because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Wigg’s father, Dan, said he put his “whole life on hold” to find the right team, sending highlight tapes to schools all over the Midwest.

“It was just okay, you know, figure out the next step,” said Erik Ekis, Wigg’s head coach at Scioto High School. “How do I find a place to play? How can I get schools interested in me? He didn’t take any time to pout about it.”

It didn’t take Wigg long to find another school. He committed to Western Michigan less than three weeks after Cincinnati’s program disbanded. Wigg spent a season with the Broncos before entering the transfer portal last offseason. Now with Syracuse, Wigg has emerged as a key part of its backline.

During high school, Wigg was recruited by a variety of Division I and D-III schools but ended up choosing Cincinnati after impressing in one of its soccer camps in 2019.

UC’s head coach Hylton Dayes stepped down in March 2020 after 19 years at the helm. Dayes cited “personal reasons” for his departure. At the time, Wigg stayed committed to the Bearcats and still planned on attending. He had no inkling that Cincinnati Athletic Director John Cunningham would later discontinue the program.

“I just felt like to be honest on a lot of different levels, they failed the program and they failed the players,” Dayes said. “There’s not a whole lot I can do … So, I mean, I felt powerless.”

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Wigg found out about the program’s disbandment through someone outside Cincinnati. A day later, he began sending out emails to coaches.

Matt Weiss, Wigg’s club soccer coach at Ohio Premier, texted him right away. With connections to schools across the Midwest, Weiss helped Wigg reach out to schools like Kentucky, Bowling Green and Ohio State.

“I did it immediately. Telling a coach why they should get Gavin on the team was one of the easiest things I’ve ever done,” Weiss said.

Dan said Wigg “grew up” searching for a new school. Unable to travel, all Wigg could do was wait for coaches to respond to his emails.

“It was super stressful,” Wigg said. “At the end of high school, I thought I was all settled down and knew where I was going…but at the end of the day, I just had to put all the work I put in first and then do it all again.”

Weiss described Wigg as a “blue collar player” with good strength and speed who didn’t shy away from a tackle. Weiss felt Wesleyan, a D-III program, would be a good fit. But Wigg wanted something bigger. Western Michigan reached out soon after.

“It seemed like it took forever but in reality it wasn’t that long,” Dan said.

After 26 appearances with WMU, Wigg desired a change of scenery. While the process of transferring wasn’t nearly as stressful as his recruitment, Wigg confided in Weiss again. Syracuse had lost two of three starting center backs from its National Championship roster and took an interest in Wigg. Its goalkeeping coach, Michael Flynn, reached out.

Flynn and Weiss previously worked together at Classics Eagles soccer club, a youth team outside of Columbus, Ohio. Flynn ended up at Wright State but the two kept in touch on the recruiting trail. Weiss said Flynn must’ve seen Wigg was an Ohio Premier player and knew to inquire.

“I said it’s a no brainer,” Weiss said. “He’s going to be someone who’s going to make your team better, you know, automatically just with his effort and his drive.”

Playing for a bigger school like Syracuse has afforded Wigg opportunities that weren’t available before, including a spring trip to England. Wigg has roots in England as his grandfather, Ron, played in the Premier League for 12 years in the 60s and 70s.

Growing up a Liverpool F.C. fan, Wigg’s highlight of the trip was seeing the Reds play Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.

“It was probably one of the best times I’ve ever had,” Wigg said. “I definitely wouldn’t have that (at Western Michigan). The resources here are a lot and it’s nice to have.”

With Syracuse, Wigg has started six of its first eight games. Last time out, in a 3-2 win over Pitt, Wigg assisted Lorenzo Boselli in the 12th minute before scoring to draw SU level at 2-2 in the last minute of the opening half.

“He thrives off that stuff, when some guys might kind of buckle under the pressure or be hesitant or nervous, you know, he has no problem playing in big, big environments,” Weiss said.