He was a three-sport letter winner at Ashtabula High School and was All-Lake Shore League in football and basketball.
In 1942, he took over the basketball team and in his first season, the Red Raiders went 14–5 and won the Lake Shore League Championship.
The move reunited him with H. W. McKelvey, Portsmouth's superintendent who was principal of Harvey High School when Baughman coached there.
[9] Baughman posted only two winning seasons at PHS (6–3 in 1957 and 7–2 in 1958) and when his contract was up for renewal in 1961, many opponents and supporters appeared before the school board, which ultimately decided to give him a two-year extension.
[10] Later that year, Baughman and McKelvey filed a complaint with the Ohio High School Athletic Association after two Portsmouth players, James and Larry Austin, joined the Canton McKinley football team.
An investigation by the OHSAA resulted in the cancelation of Canton McKinley's 1962 season and the Austin brothers being ruled permanently ineligible to play football for CMHS.