When Scott Barnes heard Jay Vidovich was available, he stopped looking for Pitt's next soccer coach

They come from the pitches of Nis, Serbia and Greensburg; Nirot, France and Brooklyn, N.Y.

Connellsville, Sewickley and Rabat, Morocco, too.

Somehow, Jay Vidovich has blended a roster with roots in 11 countries into one of the finest college soccer teams in the U.S. Fans across the country will get to watch it come together at 8:30 p.m. Friday on ESPNU when No. 2 seed Pitt meets No. 3 Indiana in a College Cup semifinal match in Cary, N.C.

Where did Vidovich find all these players? Just as important, how did he convince them to come to the U.S. to play soccer at a school that stumbled to a 2-13-3 record as recently as 2016 after a winless ACC season in 2015?

Of course, that was a year before former Pitt athletic director Scott Barnes hired Vidovich, who changed everything. Vidovich spent the 2015 season in professional soccer, coaching Portland Timbers 2 in the United Soccer League.

He quickly regained the itch to return to the college game, and Barnes pounced immediately.

”We were fortunate that Jay ventured west to sort of sow his oats in professional soccer,” Barnes, now the AD at Oregon State, said Thursday in an email to the Tribune-Review. “It was something he had wanted to do for some time, but found out very quickly that it wasn’t for him.

“We caught him on the rebound wanting back into the collegiate ranks. I spoke at great lengths with a dear friend and Jay’s former AD at Wake Forest, Ron Wellman. Ron basically said if you can get Jay, stop looking right now.

“After bringing Jay on campus, getting to know him and learning about his plan and passion, I was sold.”

Vidovich’s soccer contacts throughout the world have paid off for Pitt.

Prior to the onset of covid-19, Vidovich and assistants Michael Behonick and Rich Costanzo traveled across the Atlantic Ocean — too many times for Vidovich to count — to scout for talent. His name and success opened a few doors. He has won 316 games and a national championship in 2007 as a coach at Wake Forest and Pitt.

“I have a bit of a reputation. My staff has a reputation. The ACC has a reputation that it might be a spot for their kids,” Vidovich said.

“They know I have had many kids in the past who have made it to the pros. They know the way I run my business. They think highly (of Pitt) and it gives us an opportunity to recruit some of them.

“They’ve been told, perhaps, that they’re not good enough to make it at the first-team level in Europe. If they’re academic-minded, there might be an opportunity for them in the USA to play college soccer and, then, perhaps if they’re lucky enough, make it in the MLS.

“I’ve been lucky where we’ve gone to watch a player on a team and said, ‘We don’t think he’s the match for our program. How about this kid?’ Sure enough, he also has good academics and a has a willingness to come on over.”

Two of Pitt’s top goal scorers, Valentin Noel (14) and Veljko Petrovic (9), are from Niort, France, and Nis, Serbia. Brooklyn’s Alexander Dexter has scored seven goals. Noel is a finalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy, college soccer’s version of the Heisman Trophy.

In addition, goalkeeper Nico Campuzano, who has allowed only one goal in three NCAA Tournament games, came to Pitt from Cantabria, Spain.

Typically (and this is not a typical year), Vidovich and his staff go to Europe and other soccer hotbeds in the spring.

“When school is over, it’s also a perfect time because it’s when teams are cutting their players. Now, we know who might be available,” he said. “I have a lot of guys who are like the Bad News Bears. They weren’t wanted by other people. And we got it done.”

Vidovich doesn’t travel just to scout talent.

“We double dip,” he said, “because it’s a chance for us to go study soccer in Europe. It’s a growing process so I don’t become a dinosaur. Really missing out on those opportunities right now.”

Pitt (16-3) is making its first College Cup appearance while the Hoosiers (11-1-2), who have won the past three Big Ten championships, have been there before — again and again and again.

Indiana has reached the College Cup an NCAA-record 21 times in 34 consecutive tournament appearances (45 overall), with eight national championships.

Pitt is the higher seed, but Indiana has the glowing reputation, polished over several years.

The situation is similar to when Vidovich’s Wake Forest team met Ohio State in the championship match 14 years ago.

“It was kind of like who is this little Wake Forest, playing Ohio State — the Big Ten, against little Wake Forest.

“I don’t see it that way. I just look at it as (the Hoosiers) are a good program. They won the outright regular season in the Big Ten. They won the Big Ten championship and now they’re in the Final Four. They’re a quality team.”

But he adds, “In all due respect, the ACC is the best and we’ve been climbing that ladder.”

Barnes phoned Vidovich on Thursday to pass along congratulations and good luck.

“I told Jay how happy and proud I am for the Pitt men’s soccer program’s success under his exemplary leadership,” Barnes said. “It is tremendous to see all he has accomplished in five years, from a program that was winless in the ACC to now being in position to win a national championship.

“I must say, though, that Jay having positioned his program for a national championship is no surprise to me. Rather, it was an expectation when we hired him.

“We were getting one of the very best collegiate coaches in the nation and he has certainly proven that.”

NOTE: Noel and Jasper Loeffelsend on Thursday became the first soccer players in Pitt history named All-American. Noel was named to the first team, Loeffelsend to the second team.