Long-time Middlebury coach hangs up the whistle after 36 years with the school
"In some small way, I may have helped young men and women become better people"
"In some small way, I may have helped young men and women become better people"
"In some small way, I may have helped young men and women become better people"
Just a week ago, Middlebury College added yet another trophy to its illustrious trophy case after its women's lacrosse team won the 2023 national championship. The Panthers winning ways have become a part of the school's identity, and one of the biggest contributors toward that success is retiring.
Bill Beaney was first hired to work at the school in 1986, as he coached both men's hockey and women's soccer.
"For me, coaching soccer greatly enhanced my ability to coach hockey," Beaney said.
The Lake Placid native helped bring the Panthers program to new heights, bringing home eight national championships in his 28 seasons as head coach. While he stepped away from the program following the 2014-15 season, Beaney remained a coach and adjunct professor at the school up until 2023.
"We had so many great memories, so many unbelievable moments," Beaney said as he reflected on his 36 years at the school. He talked about how much it meant to see the greater Middlebury community rally around the school community.
Recently Beaney was the general manager for Team USA in the 2023 FISU World University Games, but his hockey career started long over 50 years before.
He attended the University of New Hampshire from 1970 to 1973, where he scored 40 goals in 87 games for the Wildcats. Following his own collegiate career, Beaney coached the BFA St. Albans boys hockey from 1974 to 1979, where he won five state championships in as many seasons.
Winning has followed Beaney wherever he has been in his career, but more than anything, it's the people he has met along the way that helped fulfill his coaching dreams.
"In some small way, I may have helped young men and women become better people through the challenges of sport," Beaney said.