Dan Woog Named To FCIAC Hall Of Fame
In June, the FCIAC Hall of Fame will induct a new member: Dan Woog.
The Wreckers’ former head coach — who stepped down last year — becomes the 13th Staples coach in any sport to join the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference’s Hall. He follows Albie Loeffler and Jeff Lea, the only 2 Staples boys soccer head coaches before Woog.
Woog played for both. Lea was his junior varsity coach. Then in 1970, Woog was a member of Loeffler and Lea’s co-coached Wrecker squad. They surrendered only 2 goals all year, won the FCIAC championship, and earned a state co-championship with a 0-0 draw against Conard-West Hartford.
Woog compiled a 240-84-50 record as head coach, from 2003 to 2021. His teams won 1 state championships, 4 FCIAC titles, and 1 Ralph King Cup for best record in the league. The 2009 squad was voted #1 in New England. In his 19 years, the Wreckers won 18 national All-Academic awards for team grade point averages of 3.25 or higher.
Before being named head coach, Woog was Staples’ freshman, junior varsity and assistant varsity coach under Lea.
Woog began his coaching career the year he graduated from Brown University. He started Westport’s first U-16 team, then helped create the Westport Soccer Association. His youth teams won a dozen state championships, and twice were Eastern US regional tournament finalists. He was named National Youth Coach of the Year in 1991, and elected to the Connecticut Soccer Hall of Fame in 2001. A full-time writer, he wrote a book about his coaching career called “We Kick Balls: True Stories of the Youth Soccer Wars.”
Since stepping down Woog has continued his involvement with United Soccer Coaches, the national organization of pro, college, high school and club coaches. He serves on its board of directors, overseeing all diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. A “Dan Woog Staples High School/LGBTQ Fund” helps coaches attend United Soccer Coaches’ annual national convention.
Woog also serves on the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) soccer committee. He was a 12-year member of the Connecticut Soccer Coaches Association board of directors too.
Woog calls his selection to the FCIAC Hall of Fame “the second greatest honor of my coaching career. The first was having the opportunity to lead the remarkable Staples boys soccer program for nearly 2 decades.
“I had the privilege of working with hundreds of wonderful young people, and with and against so many great coaches. This honor really belongs to them.
“Then I had the privilege of turning the program over to a former captain, Russell Oost-Lievense. Seeing what he’s done with it so quickly brings me incredible joy. He’s a future Hall of Fame coach, for sure.”
Dan Woog (Photo/Christian Abraham)
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