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The ironic part for Ken Murphy as he was inducted in the University of Connecticut wing of the Fairfield County Sports Hall of Fame was sharing the limelight with Gregg Hutchings. "Gregg and I went to school together,'' said Murphy, a soccer star for the Huskies in the 1970s. "We played against each other when we were in high school. It's amazing that we're both here now."
Murphy, who went to Staples High in Westport, joined Hutchings, former Staples star Sean Mulcahy and Norwalk native Donna Fagan as inductees into the UConn Hall last week during a ceremony at UConn-Stamford. Murphy played from 1976-79 for the Huskies and was the captain in his senior year. He helped the Huskies reach three consecutive NCAA tournaments.
Murphy was a two-time All-New England selection and played professionally in the North American Soccer League for two years. He is currently the head soccer coach at Connecticut College.
"I think the biggest memory I take away from playing is the friendships and the people I've met,'' Murphy said. "The friendships last a lifetime. That's the best thing you take away from playing sports."
Murphy recalls with fondness his playing days at Staples, where he was twice named All-State. The midfielder played a key part in a Staples soccer dynasty that saw them win or share the title for six straight years from 1970-75. "We were ahead of the curve,'' Murphy said. "It was great to play for Albie Loeffler."
Murphy joined Connecticut College in 2009 after six years as an assistant at Brown. He spent 16 years as a commodities broker on Wall Street before returning to soccer. "This is going back to my passion,'' Murphy said. "There's nothing else like it."
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