Bill Cleary (hockey)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Olympic medal record | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Men’s Ice hockey | |||
| Silver | 1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo | Team | |
| Gold | 1960 Squaw Valley | Team | |
William ("Bill") Cleary (born August 19, 1934 in Cambridge, Massachusetts) is a former ice hockey player from the United States, who helped shape the current climate of American College Hockey.
[edit] Career
Cleary won a silver medal as a member of the USA ice hockey team at the 1956 Winter Olympics, and a gold medal as a member of the USA hockey team at the 1960 Winter Olympics. He was also a standout college hockey player at Harvard University, where he still holds several records, including most points in a single season (89).
He was named to the NCAA Ice Hockey 50th Anniversary team, chosen as the US Hockey Player of the Decade (1956-66), inducted into the International Ice Hockey Hall of Fame and the US Olympic Hall of Fame. In 1996 he was selected as one of the "100 Golden Olympians" by the US Olympic Committee. Sports Illustrated named him the 33rd best athlete of the 20th century in the state of Massachusetts.
Cleary went on to coach Harvard for over twenty years, leading them to a NCAA National Championship in 1989. At Harvard he coached three Hobey Baker Award Winners (Scott Fusco, Mark Fusco and Lane MacDonald) as well as many NHL stars.
Cleary was the driving force behind the structure of the ECAC Hockey League and a mentor to several successful college coaches, including 1987 CCHA Coach of the Year Val Belmonte. The Cleary Cup, named in his honor, is awarded to the ECAC's regular season champion.
Cleary ended his career as the Athletic Director at Harvard and is now retired in the Boston area. He retired with a 324-201-22 record for a .612 winning percentage, all games at the helm of Harvard.
