DENVER – University of Denver men's lacrosse head coach Bill Tierney has signed a contract extension to keep him in the Lacrosse Capital of the West through the 2024 season, DU Vice Chancellor for Athletics, Recreation and Ritchie Center Operations Karlton Creech announced on Wednesday.
 
"We are very excited to announce this extension to keep one of the sport's top head coaches on our campus," Creech said. "Bill is a tremendous leader and developer of young men, preparing our student-athletes for not only each week of the lacrosse season but for life after college. Under his leadership, the lacrosse program has not only extended the University's brand to the east coast, but has helped grow the game in our city, in our state, in the western United States and beyond. We look forward to watching Coach Tierney's program pursue a second National Championship."
 
A 2002 U.S. Lacrosse Hall of Famer, a two-time National Coach of the Year, a winner of seven National Championships and a 1998 World Champion with Team USA, Tierney became the second coach in NCAA Division I men's lacrosse history to record 400 career wins, doing so in the Pioneers BIG EAST opener last March. Tierney's path to 400 wins took just 532 games, 62 games faster than long-time friend and competitor John Danowski.
 
"I'm very excited to accept this contract extension," Tierney said. "I'd like to thank Peg Bradley-Doppes and former Chancellor Dan Ritchie for bringing me out here over a decade ago, and the current administration led by Chancellor Jeremy Haefner and Vice Chancellor for Athletics Karlton Creech for their continued support towards what our program is trying to accomplish. Having a chance to continue what Matt Brown and I have been able to build here, while also sprinkling in new members of our staff is going to continue to be very exciting over the next several years. I'm thrilled for the opportunity to continue to lead this program with Matt by my side."
 
Tierney completed his 10^th season with the Crimson and Gold last May, posting a 132-41 record in his first decade with the Crimson and Gold. With Brown (who enters his 14^th season on Denver's staff in February) leading his offense during Tierney's entire Denver career, the Pioneers have qualified for the NCAA Tournament nine times, reached Championship Weekend five times (program's first five) and lifted the first men's lacrosse championship for a school west of Chapel Hill, N.C. Tierney's student-athletes have earned the program's first nine First Team All-Americans, nine Second Team All-Americans, five Third Team All-Americans, 22 Honorable Mention selections and 16 USILA Scholar All-Americans.
 
Prior to his time in the Mile High City, Tierney coached 22 seasons at Princeton, winning six National Championships, producing 26 First Team All-Americans, coaching 20 Scholar All-Americans and two National Players of the Year. Before Tierney took over at Princeton, the Tigers hadn't won a league championship, earned an NCAA Tournament appearance or produced an All-American in the 20 years prior.
 
As a player, Tierney helped lead Cortland State to the USILA College Division Championship in 1973 in his senior campaign, before beginning his coaching career at Great Neck South High School on Long Island in 1976. From there, Tierney moved to Levittown Memorial High in 1980 before making his first college stop at RIT. Tierney led that program to its first two NCAA Tournament appearances in just three seasons at the helm. The legendary head coach's first Division I coaching job took him to Baltimore where he served as an assistant at Johns Hopkins for three seasons, helping the Jays to national titles in 1985 and 1987, while also serving as the head coach for the Blue Jays men's soccer team, guiding that team to the program's first NCAA bid in 11 years.
 
To sum up his career accolades in addition to his 404 wins, Tierney has combined for nine NCAA Final appearances, 15 Championship Weekend appearances, 23 National Quarterfinal appearances and 29 NCAA Tournament appearances in 35 seasons.
 
The Denver men's lacrosse program, Presented By Your Hometown Toyota Stores, will begin the 2020 campaign on February 8 with a trip to Air Force (1 p.m. MT). Denver will open its home schedule on February 15 against Duke (12 p.m. MT).
 
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