In January, snow piles up against the fences at Peter Barton Stadium. Melting reveals a phrase written on the walls surrounding the field – a phrase describing the University of Denver Lacrosse program: “Lacrosse Capital of the West”
Denver wouldn’t be the lacrosse capital of anything without the influence of DU head lacrosse coach Bill Tierney. But the 2023 season — Tierney’s 14th with the university — will be his last, he announced earlier this month.
The numbers are astounding. Tierney’s won a NCAA record seven national championships. He’s the fastest coach in NCAA Division I history to achieve 400 wins, and he was elected to the USA Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2002.
But numbers and accolades don’t tell the full story.
Tierney has coached lacrosse for 42 years, but he came to Denver in 2009 for a new challenge.
“I thought it was a great opportunity to, number one, help the program, but number two, help grow the game out West,” Tierney said prior to a brisk winter practice in preparation for DU’s preseason opener on Jan. 28 against Johns Hopkins.
From the day he first set foot on the University of Denver campus, Coach T, as he’s affectionately known, was looking far beyond Peter Barton Stadium.
“The part about the growing the game was about youth lacrosse,” said Tierney. “We started LXTC Lacrosse, our Denver elite programs, and started to get it going at the youth level, which really grew. I think [that] has helped kind of satisfy that dream a little bit.”
Assistant coach Matt Brown, who will likely take over the DU lacrosse program when Tierney steps away, along with Tierney's son, Trevor, co-founded the LXTC Lacrosse Training Center to develop the next generation of great lacrosse players in Colorado.
Eric Law proves there was plenty of talent in the Centennial State.
“Being a Colorado local kid and seeing the growth in the high school game and the youth game as soon as [Tierney] started coming out here and bringing that buzz, it’s completely taken off,” said Law, DU class of 2013.
Law played under Tierney for three years before going on to play professional lacrosse.
“It’s a cliche thing to say, but he’s the John Wooden of college lacrosse,” he said.
Tierney’s mere presence in the West created interest, but it was his personality that created progress.
“It was the first time I feel that people started to recognize the West and Colorado as a lacrosse community and that it could be its own hotbed,” said Law. “He’s going to make time for you, he’s going to listen to you, he’s a phone call away. He’s the type of person that truly cares about people deeply and his relationships with people.”
On the lacrosse field, Tierney’s not all sunshine and rainbows.
“First scrimmage [of freshman year] at Hopkins,” remembers Danny Logan, DU class of 2021. “I threw the ball about ten feet over the head of the guy I was supposed to throw it to. I met Coach T pretty quickly after that.”
That fire is what makes Tierney so special, and so uniquely qualified to grow the game of lacrosse.
“He’s the most legendary coach in the game,” said Logan.
Passion alone isn’t what makes him a legend. Passion combined with the deep care and love he shows to everyone that crosses his path, that’s what sets him apart.
“His legacy is really going to be all the young men that he affected and helped grow into great people,” said Logan. “Great people in their jobs, with their families, and in the community. That’s really what he emphasized when we were here at Denver.”
Tierney loves lacrosse, but he loves people more. That will be his true legacy.
“On my gravestone, I don’t want it to say that I’ve won a million championships. I want my players to know that I loved them, each and every one,” says Tierney.
