Bill, Trevor and Brendan Tierney

Bill Tierney is the head coach of the men's lacrosse team and the father of goalie Trevor Tierney '01 and attackman Brendan Tierney '02. All three recently sat down with Senior Writer Alex Iliff.

Prince: One thing that you might have to deal with a lot is the fact that lacrosse is sort of a regional sport. What can the three of you say either in defense or in giving ideas on how to make it spread?

Bill: Well, it's spreading. It's growing on the local level, on the high school level and on the Division III level. Where it's not growing right now is in Division I men's lacrosse, which is partly due to economic and Title IX reasons. Just the pure numbers that you have to account for in men's or women's sports don't allow for the growth, right now, in Division I lacrosse.

Brendan: I think the big difference is when they start. When [Bill] was coaching Hopkins, we used to live in Maryland and I was playing in first grade, and we moved here, and there really wasn't anything organized until fifth or sixth grade, so when you start makes a big difference in the quality of lacrosse and how many players there are.

Bill: A lot of those places regenerate themselves, because good players become fathers who become coaches of good players themselves.

P: [to Bill] You're a player who became a father who became a coach, so were you two (Trevor and Brendan) like the Williams sisters growing up? When you were three was a lacrosse stick sewn in your hands?

Trevor: As soon as we could walk, we saw who he was working with, the older guys, watching those teams he coached, we wanted to play. He never forced sticks into our hands . . . I don't even remember the first time I had a lacrosse stick in my hands.

Bill: I got a picture of it — 6 days after birth.

P: Well, my roommate mentioned this. How did the coach's son wind up being the goalie?

T: I don't know, I think I was a little retarded as a kid. I don't know why I like getting hit with the ball, but I started when I was like six.

P: [to Brendan] How about you, you just attack just because . . .

T: Because he got to shoot on me.

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P: If he wants to get hit by the ball, somebody's going to have to hit him.

Bill: That's right.

P: So, how is it in practice, then? Is there a time when you can tell that you're the coach's son, or is it totally separated?

Brendan: I don't think so. We get treated the same as any other player. I don't think there's really any difference. Once we're on the field, it's not really a family thing, it's just playing.

P: Do you call him coach or do you call him Dad?

T: Oh no, we call him coach.

Bill: They call me some of the names that the other players call me — neither "coach" nor "Dad."

P: Do you guys remember when Princeton won its first title [over Syracuse in 1992]?

Brendan: We were actually on the field. We were ball boys for that game.

Bill: In fact, I said to the boys going into the game, "If it's one of our guys, throw them the ball quick, if it's one of their guys, throw it over their head or something." They've been on the field for all the championship games. You know, it's pretty special.