Bill Tierney

Last updated
Bill Tierney
Biographical details
Born (1952-09-26) September 26, 1952 (age 71)
Playing career
1970–1973 Cortland State
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1982–1984 RIT
1985–1987 Johns Hopkins (assistant)
1988–2009 Princeton
2010–2023 Denver
2024–Current Philadelphia Waterdogs
Head coaching record
Overall439–152
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Awards
As player:
  • 1973 USILA Small College National Championship

As coach:

William G. Tierney (born September 26, 1952) is an American lacrosse coach who is the Head Coach for the Philadelphia Waterdogs. Previously, he led the men's lacrosse team at the University of Denver. Tierney is the first college lacrosse coach to win an NCAA DI Championship west of the Eastern Time Zone. [1] He coached seven NCAA DI championship teams, including six at Princeton University and one at the University of Denver. Tierney's teams have had a combined winning percentage of .743.

Contents

He is widely regarded as one of the greatest lacrosse coaches of all time. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

Tierney joined the Philadelphia Waterdogs on March 28th, 2024

Player

Tierney played collegiate lacrosse at Cortland State where he was also a member of Delta Kappa Beta fraternity. [8] In 1973, he played on the USILA national championship team. This was the small college, non Division I national tournament, prior to the splitting of Division I, II and III national tournaments. [9]

In 1972, Tierney was a member of a seminal Cortland NCAA Semifinal team that upset Navy. Following college, Tierney pursued a master's degree at Adelphi University, and coached high school lacrosse at Great Neck South High School, then Levittown Memorial High School. [10]

Coach

In 1982, Tierney's took his first collegiate coaching position with the Rochester Institute of Technology. He took the team to its first NCAA tournaments in both 1983 and 1984. In 1983, he earned the Division III Coach of the Year. [11] Following this success, Tierney joined the Johns Hopkins University Blue Jays as an assistant lacrosse coach (winning two national championships), and also served as head coach of the soccer team from 1985 to 1987. [10]

In 1988, Tierney accepted the position as head coach of the Princeton Tigers. He acquired a program that was underdeveloped, and quickly turned it around. Tierney's Tigers won six NCAA championships (1992, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, and 2001) in nine years, and have appeared in eight NCAA championship games, nine NCAA Final Fours and 11 Ivy League championships. [10] In 1992, Tierney was awarded USILA Coach of the Year honors. [12]

Internationally, Tierney coached Team USA to a Gold Medal with a 15-14 OT win over Canada in the 1998 World Lacrosse Championships [10]

In 2002, Tierney was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame with the distinction of being "a truly great coach." [9]

In 1998 and 2001, Tierney and his sons Trevor (a goaltender) and Brendan (midfield/attack), became the first father-sons combination to win an NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship together. His daughter Brianne Tierney, a former player at Loyola of Maryland and Colgate, is currently the women's head coach at Kent State, which will begin varsity play in the 2019 season; her husband Dylan Sheridan is the assistant coach at Ohio State and was the men's head coach at Cleveland State. [13]

Coach Tierney began coaching the men's lacrosse team at the University of Denver on July 1, 2009. IFS Coach Tierney called the change a "wonderful opportunity to start this new chapter in my life." [11]

On May 25, 2015 Coach Tierney led Denver to the team's first national championship. They beat Maryland by a score of 10-5. Denver was the 10th different school to raise the trophy and the first team west of the Appalachian Mountains.

Tierney joined the Waterdogs on March 28th, 2024 as their Head Coach

Head coaching record

University of Denver
SeasonWinsLossesWin Pct.Postseason
2023105.667—
202296.600—
2021125.706Lost in 1st round of NCAA Division I tournament
202042.667Cancelled due to the Coronovirus Pandemic
2019105.667—
2018134.765Lost in quarterfinal of NCAA Division I tournament
2017134.765Lost in semifinal of NCAA Division I tournament
2016133.813Lost in 1st round of NCAA Division I tournament
2015172.895Won NCAA Division I Championship
2014163.842Lost in semifinal of NCAA Division I tournament
2013145.737Lost in semifinal of NCAA Division I tournament
201297.562Lost in quarterfinals of NCAA Division I tournament
2011153.833Lost in semifinal of NCAA Division I tournament
2010125.706Lost in 1st round of NCAA Division I tournament
Princeton University
SeasonWinsLossesWin Pct.Postseason
2009133.812Lost in quarterfinals of NCAA Division I tournament
200876.538—
2007104.714Lost in 1st round of NCAA Division I tournament
2006115.688Lost in quarterfinals of NCAA Division I tournament
200557.417—
2004114.733Lost in semifinals of NCAA Division I tournament
2003114.733Lost in quarterfinals of NCAA Division I tournament
2002105.667Lost in finals of NCAA Division I tournament
2001141.933Won NCAA Division I Championship
2000123.800Lost in finals of NCAA Division I tournament
199994.692Lost in 1st round of NCAA Division III tournament
1998141.933Won NCAA Division I Championship
19971501.000Won NCAA Division I Championship
1996141.933Won NCAA Division I Championship
1995114.733Lost in quarterfinals of NCAA Division I tournament
1994141.933Won NCAA Division I Championship
1993132.832Lost in quarterfinals of NCAA Division I tournament
1992132.867Won NCAA Division I Championship
1991113.786Lost in 1st round of NCAA Division I tournament
1990114.688Lost in quarterfinals of NCAA Division I tournament
1989311.214—
1988210.167—
Rochester Institute
SeasonWinsLossesWin Pct.Postseason
1984113.786Lost in Semifinals of NCAA Division III tournament
1983113.786Lost in 1st round of NCAA Division III tournament
1982102.833—

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References

  1. ↑ "Pioneers win 1st men's lacrosse title". ESPN.com . 25 May 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
  2. ↑ Newman, K. (2023-04-30). "DU's Bill Tierney set to retire as sport's most decorated coach, lacrosse icon". The Denver Post. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
  3. ↑ Bill Tierney Then and Now: 2009 Person of the Year interview. (n.d.). USA Lacrosse Magazine. https://www.usalaxmagazine.com/college/men/bill-tierney-then-and-now-2009-person-of-the-year-interview
  4. ↑ Tierney, William G. "About Bill — Bill Tierney Coaching | Parts Work Coach". Bill Tierney Coaching. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
  5. ↑ Bean, Romi (2023-01-23). "Bill Tierney's last dance: A look at the everlasting legacy of the greatest coach in college lacrosse - CBS Colorado". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
  6. ↑ "LetsGoDU: Epic Bill Tierney Coaching Run Nearing a Close". LetsGoDU. 2023-04-07. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
  7. ↑ Klee, Paul (2023-01-05). "University of Denver and Princeton lacrosse legend Bill Tierney will retire after 2023 season". Denver Gazette. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
  8. ↑ "Delta Kappa Beta Cortland". Archived from the original on 2016-03-12. Retrieved 2016-02-22.
  9. 1 2 "Bill Tierney's National Lacrosse Hall of Fame Bio". USLacrosse.org. Archived from the original on 2009-07-15. Retrieved 2008-03-13.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "Bill Tierney's Princeton Tiger Bio". Princeton.edu. Archived from the original on September 20, 2006. Retrieved 2008-03-13.
  11. 1 2 "Denver Athletics: Bill Tierney Named Head Men's Lacrosse Coach at Denver". University of Denver. Archived from the original on 2011-07-26. Retrieved 2010-08-19.
  12. ↑ "US LAcrosse Division I Awards". USLacrosse.org. Archived from the original on 2008-05-09. Retrieved 2008-05-12.
  13. ↑ "Brianne Tierney". Kent State Golden Flashes . Retrieved November 4, 2017.
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