Jeff Lea Enters Connecticut Soccer Hall Of Fame
Jeff Lea — the winningest coach in Staples boys soccer history — has just won again.
The 2nd permanent head coach — who served from 1978 to 2002 and won 5 state championships, plus 12 FCIAC titles, en route to a 357-77-42 record — will be inducted on March 7, at the Doubletree in Bristol.
Lea — a tennis and basketball athlete in his native Westwood, Massachusetts, and then a soccer player, swimmer and lacrosse player at Wesleyan University — began his coaching career with Staples’ junior varsity. He was named head coach in 1978, when Loeffler retired. That fall he won his first state crown, when Gordie Hull scored with 11 seconds remaining in the final overtime to top Greenwich 3-2.
Lea’s teams captured back-to-back state championships in 1981 and ’82 — the latter on a memorable 73rd-minute goal by Rob Stone, to edge Ridgefield 1-0 — and again in 1993. Lea’s Westporters reached 2 other finals. They fell in 1992 to Simsbury 2-0, and 2-1 to Guilford in 1996 — their only loss all year, in a 19-1-2 season.
It was not his first time at the helm. In 1970 he took over after Loeffler suffered a heart attack. When Loeffler returned, they co-coached the Wreckers to the state championship — the second of 5 in a row for the Wreckers.
Lea’s selection brings to 12 the number of Connecticut Soccer Hall of Fame inductees with Staples ties. They include Loeffler, Steve Baumann ’70, Paul Hunter ’73, Tim Hunter ’71, Jim Kuhlmann, Kyle Martino ’99, Ken Murphy ’76, Kevin Murphy 77, Mark Noonan ’83, Mike Noonan ’79 and Dan Woog.
NOTE: Soccer was not Lea’s only coaching achievement at Staples. He took over as head coach of the ice hockey team in 1966, and held it until leaving for a sabbatical in France after the 1972-73 season. The Wreckers made the CIAC semifinals 5 times in those 7 seasons — in a town with no rink after 1968.
From left in 1975: Jeff Lea, Ken Murphy, Albie Loeffler.
Jeff Lea (3rd from right) with 1993 state champs, in 2018 (from left): Zack Randel, David Nayor, Alex Deegan, Dave Clement, Tim Caffrey.
Jeff Lea (left) with members of his 1970 team, at a 2018 Staples game. From left: Tracy McIntosh, Fred Cantor, Neil Brickley and Steve McCoy.
