5. Soccer pioneer Squires dies at the age of 94

Dr. John Squires, a driving force behind the creation of an NCAA soccer championship, died recently in Florida at the age of 94.

Squires coached soccer, swimming and tennis at the University of Connecticut. He was the UConn men’s soccer coach from 1937-41 and 1946-68, and the Huskies’ 1948 team was declared national champion by the NSCAA. He helped establish a national tournament sanctioned by the NCAA and served as its tournament director in its inaugural season. The first final was held in Storrs in 1959. The next year he served as NSCAA president.

He served as a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy during World War II,  overseeing aquatic and survival training for thousands of navy personnel. He was a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary and sailed up until a few weeks before his death.