Bill Bergan will enter his 20th year as head lacrosse coach at Clarkson beginning in the fall of 2007. The winningest coach in the program’s storied history, Bergan has compiled 130 victories and has guided the Green and Gold back among the region’s elite over the past few seasons. The Golden Knights have reached the NCAA Tournament twice since 2002 and have placed themselves in the hunt for the Liberty League title every season since the formation of the conference.
Despite guiding a very young team, with nearly three-quarters of the squad with less than a year of collegiate experience, Bergan led the Golden Knights to a 6-10 overall record and a 4-2 record in conference play, after playing numerous ranked opponents, including the defending national champion.
In 2002, Bergan led the Golden Knights to one of their best seasons ever and was named UCAA Coach of the Year. Bergan guided the Green and Gold to an 11-2 overall record, the UCAA title with a 6-0 league mark and back into the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 10 years.
Bergan, who also serves as the Clarkson Men’s Golf coach, became the fifth lacrosse coach in the Knights’ 44-year history when he was appointed in January of 1989. In his first 17 years at the Clarkson helm, Bergan has guided the Knights to six postseason appearances, including four NCAA Tournament berths (1991, 1992, 2002, 2004).
As a rookie head coach in 1989, Bergan guided the Knights to their second straight ECAC Upstate New York Championship. Bergan, who has guided Clarkson to nine winning seasons, was named Empire Athletic Association (EAA) Coach of the Year in 1993.
Fourteen of Bergan’s players, Ed McMahon (twice), John Eidenweil, David Sizing, Michael Motkowski, Jerry Kieran (twice), Mark Winkler, Chris Macrides, John Anderson, Shawn Stewart (twice), Marty Thomas, Greg Arnold, Rudy Perales, Joe Zebrowski (twice), and Brian Hanlon have earned All-American honors. In 1998, attackman Craig VanTine was named Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association (UCAA) Player of the Year and in 2002 Zebrowski, a goaltender, was named conference Rookie of the Year. Hanlon was also named Liberty League Player of the Year in 2006.
Prior to coming to Clarkson, Bergan served as an assistant coach at the Division I lacrosse program at Dartmouth College for one season. He was also an assistant coach at SUNY Geneseo in 1987.
A 1986 graduate of Hobart, Bergan was a two-time first-team All-America midfielder and a member of four Division III national championship lacrosse teams with the Statesmen from 1983-86. A four-year starter, he earned a host of honors during his playing career and was named Division III Midfielder of the Year in 1986. He was also selected for the prestigious Senior North-South game and acted as a tri-captain for the North squad. Bergan was inducted into Hobart’s Athletic Hall of Fame in October 1998. Bergan also served as a head coach in the 1999 North-South Game and helped to guide the North squad to a come-from-behind overtime victory.
A native of Syracuse, New York, Bergan graduated from West Genesee High School in 1982. He earned a pair of masters degrees from St. Lawrence in the late 90s, including a degree in counseling and another school administration. Bergan, who is also Clarkson’s Golf Coach and Director of Physical Education, makes his home in Potsdam with his wife Rosanne and their two young children Billy and Caroline.
