Rochester, Mich. — Flint City Bucks legend Andy Wagstaff, head coach of the club from 2020 until 2023, is set to enter the Oakland University Athletics Hall of Honor.

“To be inducted into the Hall of Honor is a reflection of the amazing people who I’ve had the privilege to learn from and work alongside,” said Wagstaff, who will share the Hall with mentors. “I owe a debt of gratitude to every coach, teammate, and friend who believed in me and pushed me to be my best. This award is as much theirs as it is mine. I am so thankful to my wife, Lindsey, and my children, Charlotte and Drew. I am also forever indebted to my parents, Jim and Anita, and to my brother Tony and his family, for supporting me throughout my career as a player and a coach. They saw me leave home at a young age to pursue my soccer dreams and ambitions, and without them, I would not have achieved these honors.”

OU’s Hollie L. Lepley Hall of Honor cements Oakland sporting greats into the history of the university. The class of 2024 will be inducted Saturday, Feb. 3, during a ceremony at the Royal Park Hotel in Rochester. Tickets for the event can be purchased online.

As a four-year Oakland player, Wagstaff helped the team reach the NCAA Division II title match in 1994 and the NCAA semifinals in 1991. He was an NSCAA Athletic Academic All-American in 1992 and made the Umbro All-Midwest College Select team in 1994.

Gary Parsons, director of coaching and player personnel for the Bucks, was head coach at Oakland from 1981 to 2008 and a Hall of Honor inductee in 2014.  “Andy  was a top-level center midfielder,” Parsons said of his four years coaching Wagstaff. “He was excellent on the ball, a very creative playmaker, a very good two-way player, and an excellent teammate and leader. This honor is a testament to his ability and influence on those teams, and we all applaud the announcement of this award.”

Wagstaff thanked Parsons for his mentorship and support: “I wouldn’t be where I am without that. Thank you for shaping not only my athletic career but my life.”

He also thanked current Oakland head coach Eric Pogue, who “has not only been a tremendous coach and colleague but a true believer in my potential. I am so grateful for his trust and confidence — and for the amazing opportunities that he has given me to grow and succeed. This award is a reflection of his incredible leadership and vision.”

Wagstaff will also join Bucks head coach Paul Doroh in the Hall of Honor.

“Paul is my former teammate at Oakland University and a fellow coach with the Flint City Bucks,” Wagstaff said. “Paul and I have a friendship that goes back 30 years, and I am sure that he was influential in the nominations for this year’s award.”

Wagstaff served as an assistant coach for the Golden Grizzlies women’s team from 2002 through 2004, then returned as an assistant for the men’s side in 2012. He aided the team to two regular-season Horizon League titles in three years. He joined the Bucks as a player in 1996, became an assistant in 2010, and helmed Flint City to the USL League Two national semifinals in 2022. He continues to serve the Bucks as an advisor.

“Congratulations to this year’s inductees into the Hollie L. Lepley Hall of Honor,” said athletic director Steve Waterfield. “The class of 2024 represents Pioneers and Golden Grizzlies who achieved remarkable accomplishments and championship success during their time at OU and whose legacies are firmly entrenched in the OU Athletics record book.”

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