Bill Tierney Named Head Coach and GM of Philadelphia Waterdogs

Bill Tierney, the legendary college men’s lacrosse coach who won seven NCAA titles split between his time at Princeton and Denver, will be the next head coach and general manager of the Philadelphia Waterdogs.

Chris Rosenthall of Inside Lacrosse first reported the hiring.

Tierney replaces Andy Copelan, who announced that he was stepping down from the position in late February. Rosenthall said Tierney was part of a deep candidate pool that included Steven Brooks, Spencer Ford, Anthony Kelly, Brodie Merrill, Tony Resch, and Joe Spallina.

Tierney retired from college coaching at the end of the 2023 season. He finished with a career 439-152 record. The most recent of his NCAA Division I-record seven national titles came in 2015, when he led the Pioneers to their first-ever championship. His six championships at Princeton came from 1992-2001.

The 2002 National Lacrosse Hall of Fame inductee turned 71 in September.

Tierney inherits a Waterdogs roster that lost in both the Premier Lacrosse League championship game and the title game of the PLL Championship Series. It’s filled with talent, like local product Michael Sowers and a couple of his old Denver players, like Ethan Walker and Jack Hannah.