William Harrison (ice hockey)

William Harrison
Biographical details
Born Walpole, Massachusetts, U.S.
Playing career
–1943 Dartmouth
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1948–1958 Clarkson
Head coaching record
Overall 127-47-6
Accomplishments and honors

Championships

1951 Tri-State League Regular Season Championship
1956 Tri-State League Regular Season Championship
1958 Tri-State League Regular Season Championship

Awards

1956 Spencer Penrose Award
2008 Clarkson Athletic Hall of Fame

William "Bill" Harrison was an American ice hockey coach. He was the head coach of Clarkson for a decade after World War II and provided the team with their only undefeated season.[1]

Career

After graduating from Dartmouth in 1943 William Harrison signed up with the Marines at the height of the second world war.[2] Harrison left after three years of service and returned to Walpole, Massachusetts to coach at the local high school before accepting a position to become a professor of civil engineering at Clarkson and coach the ice hockey team.

Harrison Coached at Clarkson for 10 seasons, winning 3 league titles (after the Golden Knights founded the Tri-State League), making 2 Frozen Four appearances and providing Clarkson with an undefeated season in 1955–56 season.[3] Because the '56 team had eight seniors who were 4-year varsity players they would have been ineligible to participate in the 1956 NCAA tournament so the team voted to decline the invitation to play.[2] Harrison received the 1956 Spencer Penrose Award despite the eligibility conflict and resigned as head coach two years later.

Harrison continued on in an academic capacity with Clarkson, receiving a fellowship from the National Science Foundation in 1959. He was inducted into Clarkson's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008.[2]

College Head Coaching record[4]

Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Clarkson Golden Knights (Division I Independent) (1948-49–1949-50)
1948-49 Clarkson 8-5-0
1949-50 Clarkson 4-8-2
Clarkson: 12-13-2
Clarkson Golden Knights (Tri-State League) (1950-51–1957-58)
1950-51 Clarkson 12-2-1 4-1-0 1st Tri-State League Tie-Breaker (Win)
1951-52 Clarkson 10-5-0 3-3-0 3rd
1952-53 Clarkson 9-9-1 1-3-1 4th
1953-54 Clarkson 7-8-2 1-4-0 3rd
1954-55 Clarkson 18-4-0 4-2-0 2nd
1955-56 Clarkson 23-0-0 6-0-0 1st
1956-57 Clarkson 19-3-0 4-2-0 2nd NCAA Consolation Game (Win)
1957-58 Clarkson 17-3-0 5-0-0 1st NCAA Consolation Game (Win)
Clarkson: 115-34-4 28-15-1
Total: 127-47-6

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

References

  1. "Clarkson men's Hockey Team History". USCHO.com. Retrieved 2014-07-13.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Harrison - Clarkson Athletic Hall of Fame". Clarkson Golden Knights. Retrieved 2014-07-13.
  3. "Bill Harrison Year-By-Year Coaching Record". USCHO.com. Retrieved 2014-07-13.
  4. "2013-14 Clarkson Media Guide". ISSUU.com. Retrieved 2014-07-11.

External links

Awards and achievements
Preceded by
Cooney Weiland
Spencer Penrose Award
1955–56
Succeeded by
Jack Riley