University of Vermont Athletics

Harold "Hal" Greig Special Inductee - Coach

The architect of the Vermont men's soccer program, as well as the founder of the equally successful Hartwick College Program, Hal Greig, a 1996 UVM Hall of Fame inductee, was one of the college soccer pioneers in this county. He also served as the Catamounts tennis coach for several seasons.

Greig joined the UVM staff in 1962 as a physical education instructor. Shortly after arriving, he started building the foundation of the men's soccer program. With the help of an enthusiastic student, Ted Manning, it wasn't long before Greig's dream of a varsity program became a reality. In 1964, Vermont fielded its first men's soccer team. The team lost its first game, 4-1, to Middlebury, but later defeated cross town rival St. Michael's, 3-1, to post the first-ever Vermont men's soccer win.

During the next five years, the Catamounts won five straight Yankee Conference titles while posting an impressive record of 36-10 -1 (.776). Greig was coach for all but one of those years, taking a sabbatical year in 1968. Among the standouts during this era were Hall of Famers Jeff Taft, Bill Willey, Peter Baldwin. Jack Semler and John Hilton. Greig's five-year record at Vermont was a lofty 33-11-1 (.744). After guiding the Cats to a 7-1-1 record and the fifth consecutive Yankee Conference title, Greig stepped down as men's soccer coach and went on to coach men's tennis for 17 years.

"Hal was tremendous teacher, able to relate to his players very well," said J. Edward Donnelly, UVM's Director of Athletics of the time. "Hal was able to establish a great rapport and still was stern enough to keep the players respect."

At Hartwick, the program he started in 1956, Greig was 17-12 in four years, including a 8-12 mark in 1959. His combined collegiate men's soccer record is 50-23-1, a winning percentage of .682.

In a tribute to Greig, the men's soccer coaches' award is named the Hal Greig Award. It is awarded annually to the player who, through his desire, hustle and love the game, does the most for the program. Among the winners of the award is Hal's son, Geoff, a standout in the 1970s who was inducted into UVM Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995. Additionally, the annual men's soccer alumni game is now known as the Hal Greig Alumni Game.

In addition to coaching soccer, Greig also compiled a 129-69-1 record as men's tennis coach at UVM. The Catamounts won three Yankee Conference Championships under Greig, and also captured a New England in 1985. Greig's expertise was not limited to soccer and tennis, though.

At Hartwick, where he was from 1956-60, he was an assistant basketball coach, director of intramurals, tennis coach, soccer coach, and physical education instructor and -for one year- the Director of Athletics. At Vermont, he was an assistant ice hockey coach in 1963.

An avid sailor, Greig made a trip across the Atlantic Ocean, from Jamestown, Rhode Island to Cork, Ireland, in 1985. He has served on the Board of Governor's of the Lake Champlain Community Sailing Center and has been the tournament director of the Vermont State Senior Tennis Classic.