Joe Baum (2017) - Hall of Fame - Michigan State University Athletics

Joe Baum

Induction:
2017
Class:
2008

Joe Baum
Men's Soccer Coach (1977-2008)
Women's Soccer Coach (1986-90)
Soccer (1966-68)
St. Louis, Missouri
MSU Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2017

HIGHLIGHTS:
• Two-time NCAA Champion as a goalkeeper (1967, 1968)
• Three-time Big Ten Coach of the Year (1996, 2000, 2008)
• Coached the men's soccer team for 32 seasons and the women's team for its first five years, winning a combined 389 games, including 320 games as head coach of the men's team, becoming the second coach in Big Ten history to win more than 300 games
• Guided the men's team to four NCAA Tournament appearances (2001, 2004, 2007, 2008)

HALL OF FAME FEATURE: CLASS OF 2017

If there is one person that emblemizes Michigan State soccer, it's Joe Baum.

Baum was a part of Michigan State soccer as a player, assistant coach and head coach for a combined 39 seasons. As a goalkeeper, he led MSU to back-to-back co-national championships. Later, he served as the head coach of the men's program for 32 years and the women's program for five years, compiling a combined 389 victories.

"I was shocked," Baum said upon receiving a call from MSU Athletics Director Mark Hollis, notifying him of his selection into the Hall of Fame. "He called me at 7:45 in the morning and I thought something was wrong, so I braced myself. He said, 'congrats, you were voted into the Hall of Fame.' I was at a loss for words. I said, 'oh my gosh.' I'm just so humbled and honored."

Baum arrived in East Lansing as one of five incoming freshmen on the team from St. Louis, Missouri, then a fertile recruiting ground for Spartan head coach Gene Kenney.

"Everything for me at Michigan State really started in 1965 when we got to the Final Four and then lost 1-0 in the National Championship game," Baum said. "After going to the national semifinals in both 1965 and '66, as a team we thought, hey, we're an NCAA team, let's get in this thing and do some damage.

"It all went back to '65 and seeing the Spartans in the national championship."

The 1966 season proved to be a precursor of Baum's success at MSU as he set the program's single-season goals-against average mark (0.37) - a record that still stands today.

The Spartans rolled to a 10-0-2 mark in 1966, but their season was ended by the NCAA rule book in the national semifinals. After four overtimes in a 2-2 tie with Long Island, the Spartans were declared the losers in a 2-2 draw due to a rule that stated in the event of a tie after all the overtimes, the team with the most corner kicks wins.

Baum and the Spartans responded with another unbeaten season in 1967 (12-0-2) and ended the year on a better note. In taking on St. Louis in the NCAA title match, the scoreless game was suspended after a half due to a heavy rainstorm and the teams were declared co-champions.

The Spartans got back to the NCAA title game with Baum in net as senior in 1968. Baum posted three shutouts en route to the title game where another tie gave MSU its second consecutive co-national championship following a 2-2 draw with Maryland.

In all, Baum helped lead the Spartans to a 33-1-7 record during his three seasons as a player, including a 33-game unbeaten streak. He was named to the 1968 All-Midwest team by the National Soccer Coaches of America.

Baum was less than a year removed from being on the field as a player when he began his coaching career in 1969 as an assistant at Southern Illinois-Edwardsville. He then moved on to Wisconsin-Green Bay from 1972-74, also as an assistant.

In the spring of 1974, Baum felt the urge to go back to East Lansing, offering then head coach Ed Rutherford to work as a volunteer.

"I told him MSU soccer was my passion," Baum remembered. "I told him I'd do everything as a volunteer and it worked out pretty well for a few years."

The Spartans went 25-7-3 (.757) during Baum's three years as an assistant and when Ed Rutherford stepped down from his head coach role to serve as a full-time administrative assistant to then-Athletics Director Joe Kearney, Baum knew the time was right.

"I had been an assistant for a few years at that point and was very confident that I was ready for the job," said Baum.

After eight seasons under his belt as head coach of the men's soccer team, Baum took on another challenge - coaching two varsity teams at once. With women's soccer earning varsity status in 1986, Baum was tapped to direct both the men's and women's teams.

"It was hard," Baum said. "At times, it was crazy, especially with doubleheaders."

Fortunately for Baum, he had a trusted assistant in a former player - Tom Saxton - who took over in 1990 and is still leading the Spartan women's program.

"It all worked out perfectly," Baum said. "Tom has done a great job."

Baum ended his five-year stint as head coach of the women's program with a 69-23-5 (.737) record.

Baum established himself as one of the titans of college soccer during his tenure with the Spartan men's team. He finished his career with 320 victories, becoming just the second coach in Big Ten history to reach the 300-win plateau.

He was Big Ten Coach of the Year three times (1996, 2000, 2008) and mentored the Spartans to 22 winning seasons.

Baum guided MSU to four NCAA Tournament appearances (2001, 2004, 2007, 2008), coached 57 different All-Big Ten players and had five players drafted in the MLS in his final five seasons.

In the summer of 2008, Baum decided the upcoming season would be his last as the man in charge of Spartan soccer. With perhaps his most talented roster as a head coach, Baum and the Spartans put together one of the most memorable and successful seasons in Spartan history.

The regular-season finale between the Spartans and Northwestern proved to be for the Big Ten championship. With nearly 3,000 fans in the stands at DeMartin Stadium, the Spartans delivered Baum a Big Ten regular season title with a 1-0 victory.

Two weeks later, the Spartans topped Indiana, 1-0, in the Big Ten tournament title game, giving the Spartans the Big Ten Tournament title as well.

"It was like a dream - a dream come true," Baum said. "I always thought about having a season that was a banner year. We had future professional players at numerous positions. Going into the year, I knew that if we could stay healthy, we could have a very good team. It was a magical run."

The Spartans went 8-0-1 over their final nine games heading into the NCAA Tournament. Unfortunately, their run came to an end as the Spartans were ousted in the second round vs. UIC by penalty kicks.

Despite how suddenly and disappointingly the Spartans' dream season ended, Baum kept perspective on the overall success of his last season as head coach.

"That game didn't detract from what we did," Baum said. "I wasn't going to let the fact that we got beat in PKs affect us."

Baum remained on staff with the Spartans for the 2009 and 2010 seasons, serving as an assistant to his former player-turned-head coach, Damon Rensing.

Baum's final two seasons strolling the Spartan sideline proved to be a perfect ending to his five decades representing Michigan State soccer.

"To go from the success of the 2008 season right into retirement would have been really hard," Baum said. "Those two years as an assistant were a way I phased myself out. When I did step away and retire fully, I knew I was ready."