Steve Baumann ’70, Kenny Murphy ’76 Join CT Soccer Hall Of Fame
Six new members will be inducted into the Connecticut Soccer Hall of Fame on January 30 — and 1/3 of them are from Staples.
Steve Baumann ’70 and Kenny Murphy ’76 are the 2 honorees with Westport roots. They join 8 others with strong Staples connections in the prestigious hall.
Baumann led Staples to 3 straight state championship games, winning the title in 1967 and ’69. During 3 years as a varsity player, the Wreckers were 43-3-3. At the University of Pennsylvania, Baumann led them to their only 2 Ivy League titles, and 3 NCAA tournament berths. An All-American in 1973, his 30 career goals and 39 assists still stand as a Penn record, more than 40 years later. He was named to Penn’s All-Century team.
Baumann was a 1st-round draft pick by the NASL’s Miami Toros in 1974. He played 3 years in the league, then went on to coach high school soccer in Virginia, and returned as head coach at Penn. With a masters degree in education from the University of Virginia, he has had a long career as a museum director at institutions like the Liberty Science Center and Children’s Museum of Pasadena — as well as the US Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta, NY. Currently the director of the Discovery Museum and Planetarium in Bridgeport, Baumann has become re-involved with the local soccer scene. Last spring, he coached the Westport Soccer Association U-16 team. He lives in Fairfield with his wife Karen, a former Staples cheerleader.
Murphy helped lead Staples to 3 straight FCIAC chamionships, and a state title in 1973. After earning All-New England honors, he headed to the University of Connecticut. He was team captain in 1979, and part of 3 NCAA tournament teams and 2 Yankee Conference championships. Murphy played in the 1980 Senior Bowl, and is a member of the UConn Hall of Fame.
He played 2 years in the NASL, with the Detroit Express and Washington Diplomats. After many years on Wall Street, he made a career change into soccer coaching. He spent 6 years as an assistant coach (to Mike Noonan ’79) at Brown University, before being named head coach at Connecticut College in 2009, where he still serves.
Baumann and Murphy will be honored on January 30 at the Crowne Plaza in Cromwell. Tickets for the 18th annual dinner are $50 per person ($25 for youth 12 and under). For tickets and more information, call Al Bell at 860-306-6822, email mrsoccer@comcast.net, or click here.
Previous Westport inductees into the Connecticut Soccer Hall of Fame include Paul Hunter ’73, Tim Hunter ’71, Jim Kuhlmann, Albie Loeffler, Kyle Martino ’99, Mark Noonan ’83, Mike Noonan ’79 and Dan Woog ’71.
Steve Baumann with 2 Miami Toros cheerleaders.
Four Murphy brothers played for Staples (and Westport’s Bridge Grille U-23 team, shown here). Kenny is kneeling, at the right.
