University of Vermont Athletics

Jeffrey W. Taft 1968 - Soccer

Considered by former UVM soccer coach, Hal Greig, the best all-around soccer player he ever coached, Jeff Taft was the first men's soccer player named to the UVM Athletic Hall of Fame in 1981. He and classmate Peter Baldwin, also a Hall of Famer, led the Catamount booters to three consecutive Yankee Conference championships in the 1960s.

Taft was an All-Yankee Conference, First-Team selection for three years (1965, 1966 and 1967) and named to the All-New England team for two (1966 and 1967). Although he never led the UVM soccer team in scoring, Taft did so many other things that made him a New England All-Star. Taft captained the soccer team his junior and senior years (1966 and 1967) and he was selected the team's and state's MVP both years. In his three seasons on the Catamounts the team went 23-6-0 (7-2-0 in 1965; 9-2-0 in 1966 and 7-2-0 in 1967) and reached the NCAA College Division Regionals in 1965, just the program's second year of existence.

A graduate of Essex Junction High School and Deerfield Academy, he coached the South Burlington High School Rebels to the state crown in 1973, compiling a 55-21-5 career coaching mark before stepping down in 1976. He is the son of Chester Taft, a 1977 UVM Athletic Hall of Fame inductee, and his daughters, Brooke and Heather, came to UVM and also were outstanding student-athletes.