PRINCETON, N.J. – Four-year University of Denver men’s lacrosse assistant coach Dylan Sheridan has been named the first assistant at Princeton University, Tigers’ head coach Chris Bates announced on Wednesday.
“The University of Denver loses a great contributor to our recent success with the departure of Dylan Sheridan,” DU head coach Bill Tierney said. “The impact he has had on our program is immeasurable, and replacing him and his skill-set will be very difficult. The day I hired him I asked Dylan to learn about the face-off game and in four short years, he has become one of the most renowned coaching experts of the position. He was extremely innovative and successful as our defensive coordinator and was very instrumental in recruiting many of our players over the last few years. His intelligence, drive, and work-ethic have been an inspiration to us all at DU. Dylan leaves a legacy that included great admiration from his players, fellow coaches and all those around the University of Denver Athletic Department. We will miss him greatly.”
Sheridan began his DU coaching stint as a volunteer assistant in 2011, before being promoted to Tierney’s second assistant in 2012. In 2014, with Sheridan at the helm of the Pioneers’ defense, he helped guide the unit to a top-10 defensive national ranking on the program’s way to its third Championship Weekend appearance in the last four seasons.
“Dylan is going to Princeton University as their first assistant and we believe this is a great career move for him,” Tierney said. “Chris Bates, Princeton’s Head Coach, contacted me and sought Dylan out specifically. He will let him fly with their defense, bringing his special touch to a place with such great tradition on the lacrosse field and in the classroom. We are proud to have had him in our program for four years and are thrilled to see him move on in his career to such a wonderful institution as Princeton.”
In his four seasons with the Pioneers, Sheridan has also been coaching the face-off corps. Most notably, Sheridan coached 2012 ECAC Specialist of the Year Chase Carraro, who was also named a USILA Second Team All-American for his work at the X.
Sheridan coached Team Thailand in the country’s first FIL World Lacrosse Championship appearance in Commerce City this summer, leading the team to a 4-4 mark.
“…I would be remiss not to thank Coach Tierney, Coach [Matt] Brown and the entire DU community for everything they’ve done for me as well as the tremendous group of young men I’ve been blessed to work with these last four years at the University of Denver,” Sheridan said in Princeton’s press release.
Making the move with Sheridan to Princeton will be his fiancée, and DU’s Director of Men’s Lacrosse Operations Brianne Tierney. In her time in Denver, Brianne Tierney also coached Cherry Creek High School to two-consecutive state championship games, winning the state title in 2013.
“Also, our mixed emotions continue with the fact that he will be bringing with him his fiancée, my daughter and our Director of Operations, Brianne Tierney, back to where she grew up and had so many great experiences and memories,” Bill Tierney said. “She is now very excited to get back east and hopefully re-ignite her college lacrosse coaching career.”
