March 10, 2022 was a sad day for West Virginia Wesleyan as legendary soccer coach, Gavin Donaldson lost his battle with cancer. Gavin was a respected colleague, mentor to hundreds, and a coach worthy of inclusion with WVWC greats from the past.
In fact, as I think of him today (March 11, 2022) I feel certain that he is surrounded by those long-serving greats and that they are all enjoying a conversation about athletics at WVWC. I would love to be able to listen in on this! Click on each one to learn more!
Harry Stansbury 1891-1966
Cebe Ross 1901-1953
David Reemsnyder 1908-1979
Hank Ellis 1921-2015
Soccer began at WVWC as a club team in 1959, and was given official status as a collegiate sport in 1962. Most coaches averaged 8 years of service. Gavin coached the team for 31 years.
He was elected to be inducted into the West Virginia Soccer Hall of Fame, which was to happen just days after his death. The announcement stated, “Over the course of 36 seasons as a head coach, Donaldson has accumulated 402 wins including 260 victories in his 31-year career at WVWC. In 1994, Donaldson led the Bobcats to an NAIA national title en route to NAIA and NSCAA National of the Year. The West Virginia Wesleyan men’s soccer coaching staff was named Division II National Staff of the Year by United Soccer Coaches for the 2020 season (played in the spring of 2021)”.
Always a strong advocate for academics as well as athletics, Gavin touched many lives. Alan Riches posted this image on Facebook, and it is a typical sentiment of many. If you have a memory of Gavin or a tribute to him, you can click here to submit it. You can also read things that others have written.
