The best stories are unexpected. They're filled with triumph and heartbreak, and along the way, detours that leave the destination in doubt.
John Higgins, Xavier University's new men's soccer coach, has a story like that, one that took him from Oakley, a small village in Scotland, to the United States in search of a dream he was unwilling to discard.
Higgins played youth soccer for Celtic, then for his local club, Dunfermline, until he was 18 years old. That led to a two-year youth training contract.
"At the end of the two years, they decide u2012 here's a real pro contract, good money, the whole deal, or hey man, you're not good enough," said Higgins.