Bill Beaney To Be Honored By USA Hockey With Distinguished Achievement Award

Former head men’s ice hockey coach Bill Beaney will be honored by USA Hockey on Friday, June 7 with the Distinguished Achievement Award. Created in 1991, the award is presented annually to a United States citizen who has made hockey his or her profession and has made outstanding contributions, on or off the ice, to the sport in America.
 
Beaney served as the head coach of the Middlebury men’s ice hockey program from 1987 through 2015. During his 28 years at the helm, he guided the team to eight NCAA Championships and eight NESCAC titles. Beaney earned the Edward Jeremiah Award as National Coach of the Year four times, and was named the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) National Hockey Coach of the Year in 1989. When Beaney stepped down from the men’s ice hockey program, he was the winningest Division III coach with a record of 602-260-59. His career victory total currently ranks 14th all-time across all three NCAA divisions. 
 
Throughout his career, Beaney also coached at the national level, including stints with the United States Junior Olympic and Junior National teams. Most recently, Beaney served as the general manager for the U.S. men’s ice hockey team at the 2023 FISU World University Games in Lake Placid, New York. 
 
Beaney began his coaching career in 1974 at Bellows Free Academy in Vermont. After a five-year stint, he served as the head men’s hockey coach at New England College from 1979 to 1987. When Beaney arrived at Middlebury, he coached the men’s ice hockey team and the women’s soccer squad, before taking over the helm of the men’s golf program in 1988. 
 
Beaney also served as the head men’s golf coach, and after 36 years of coaching at Middlebury, retired at the conclusion of the 2022-23 academic year. 
 
A full list of honorees can be found here.