Bill Beaney Jr. (born July 21, 1951) is a retired college men's ice hockey coach.
[3] After graduating from UNH in 1973, Beaney coached hockey at the Bellows Free Academy in Saint Albans, Vermont.
[4] In 1977, Beaney was hired as the head hockey coach at New England College ("NEC") in Henniker, New Hampshire.
After his team won its third consecutive NCAA championship, Beaney predicted a fourth: "If I had a choice - if I were to step to one side - I would also pick Middlebury.
"[9] When Middlebury won its record-setting fourth consecutive NCAA championship in 1998, The New York Times wrote that the record was all the more remarkable given that it was accomplished by a small, academically oriented college with no athletic scholarships.
The Times wrote:"Without consulting Coach Bill Beaney, it is difficult to comprehend how a small college like Middlebury in Vermont can win an unprecedented four straight national championships in a sport as money-minded and competitive as hockey.
The entrance requirements are stiff - average Scholastic Achievement Tests of 1,330 - and the annual cost of about $30,000 occasionally eased by a grant based on family need.
"[10]When Middlebury won a fifth consecutive NCAA championship in 1999, the Boston Globe described the accomplishment as "padding a record of domination unrivaled in any level of college hockey.
In explaining how his young team had won the championship, Beaney offered what the Boston Globe called a bit of Green Mountain wisdom, "Like the sap that runs from the trees, anything is possible.
Middlebury President John McCardell Jr., announced that Beaney had been granted time off from his coaching duties and would serve as an associate in the Office of College Advancement.
[6] Prior to the 2004 NCAA tournament, Beaney took his players on a trip to his home town of Lake Placid.
His players "explored every nook and cranny" of the rink where the USA Hockey team had won the Olympic gold medal in 1980 and played a pickup game on the speedskating oval where Eric Heiden won five gold medals.
In an interview with the Boston Globe in 1998, Beaney described his philosophy, "Every player knows how to control the puck... Everyone plays aggressive two-way hockey.
"[15] The elements of the Beaney gospel include such truisms as "don't take anything for granted," "they have to keep working hard," and "playing just one game at a time.